STAFF and students failed to persuade Durham University's ruling body to give a reprieve to a centre which helps to train people in counselling.

Durham University's governing senate this week ratified the earlier decision of its School of Education to phase out postgraduate programmes at the Centre for Studies in Counselling.

The death-knell for Cesco was sounded at the university's administrative premises, Old Shire Hall in Old Elvet, while around 50 protesting students and staff staged a noisy demonstration outside

Despite their exhortations to senate members arriving for the meeting, the decision was taken to concentrate on the School of Education's 'core provision' of teacher training.

The 200 students already on courses at Cesco will be able to complete their studies. The university stressed there will be no job losses among academic or support staff.

Dr Maggie Robson, one of the two full-time members of academic staff at Cesco, said: "We are a successful centre. We make money for the university, we provide counsellors for the region and we are well thought of.

"There just doesn't seem any good reason to close us."

She said the closure would affect groups like Cruse bereavement and rape counselling services, which rely on the help of volunteers from Cesco.

University spokesman Keith Seacroft said: "There has been a very long consultation period and the plan was agreed by the board of studies within the School of Education in February, and later by the university's Graduate School Committee.

"Ideally we would want to carry on, but we are having to look to concentrate on our main strengths. Counselling will continue, but it will be built into the provision for teacher training degrees, which it is already part of."