COMPUTER students say they have been left high and dry by the closure of their outreach colleges.

Derwentside College is to close two of its IT centres in Chester-le-Street and Langley Park, near Durham, at the end of May, blaming a massive national decline in demand for part-time computer courses.

The college has offered students the chance to study at their next nearest IT centre, but some of those already enrolled on computer courses are outraged at the move.

Janet Thomas, from Chester-le-Street, has been using her town's IT centre for about two years. She said the closure will particularly hit retired people such as herself who have no transport and younger people studying for computing qualifications.

She said the news of the closure has come just as the Chester-le-Street centre, which is opposite the market place, has been refurbished.

She said: "A lot of money has been spent on this local centre. It's been open two years, but it took this long to get it a disabled entrance and all nicely carpeted. Now they've told us it's going to close and we have to go elsewhere."

Mrs Thomas was studying for a European Computer Driving Licence, a world-recognised standard in information technology operation.

She said: "For me it's a hobby, because I'm retired and I want to keep up with my grandchildren. I can use the e-mail and do my shopping on the Internet. But some young people were there doing qualifications for a job."

Derwentside College said there has been such a severe drop in enrolment, it had no choice but to close the centre. At its peak, Chester-le-Street college recruited nearly 1,000 part-time students in a year. Just 90 have enrolled this academic year.

A spokeswoman for the college said: "Further education colleges have been witnessing a national decline in the demand for part-time IT programmes, which has led to a substantial reduction in student numbers. This nation-wide trend has affected Derwentside College, particularly so at its centres in Chester-le-Street and Langley Park."

She said they had made alternative arrangements for those that had not completed their course by the closing dates of May 30 to resume studies from Monday, June 2.

Students from the Langley Park centre can now study at Lanchester, while those from Chester-le-Street will be able to use the Flexible IT Centre in Stanley.