DEMENTIA sufferers in Darlington are being failed by the borough council, according to a member of the authority's cabinet.

Councillor Eleanor Lister, who holds the adult services portfolio, said not enough was being done to help sufferers of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, as well as their carers.

But last night, a council spokesman denied the claim, saying there was a huge amount on offer to support older people with mental illnesses.

Coun Lister, who works as a family support worker for the Darlington and district branch of the Alzheimer's Disease Society, said: "There are all sorts of things that we are supposed to be doing, that we are not doing.

"As a social services committee we don't do enough. We just don't have the services that other authorities have."

The Alzheimer's Disease Society branch, which is funded solely through donations and community grants and employs three workers, has nearly 200 people on its books needing help in Darlington, Wear Valley, Sedgefield and Teesdale.

But Coun Lister said it needed more support from the council's social services.

"We should be doing a lot more for carers. We should be working with the alzheimer's society and people like that but not expecting them to do it all."

She said a sitting service should be introduced to allow carers to spend time away from home.

"I haven't been in charge of adult services for that long, so it's one thing I'm looking at," she said.

"We need to improve general services for people with all forms of dementia."

The council spokesman said the authority funded a day centre for old people with mental health problems, helped manage a dedicated psychiatric team and was involved in a unit set up with the health service for dementia sufferers.

"We have a three-year financial commitment to this service," he said.

He said social services also funded sitting and befriending services provided by Darlington Association on Disability, as well as providing briefings to support groups.

"The comments have hit a raw nerve with social services staff," he said. "A review was done four years ago that realised there was a gap in the service. Since then, there has been a huge amount done."