MORE than 200 people attended a rally in Glasgow's George Square yesterday to protest against the closure of two day centres for the disabled, writes Valerie Hannah.

The Hillington Day and Resource Centres are to close at the end of September, leaving six smaller organisations to cater for the centres' 100 users, most of whom have cerebral palsy.

But the Carer's Action Group fears that specialist services, including speech and physiotherapy, will no longer be provided, and people with complex learning difficulties will not receive expert care.

Group Chairman Ron Campbell claimed: ''This is essentially a cost cutting exercise that is at odds with Council commitments towards the care of some of the most vulnerable people in the city.

''We are going to campaign until the needs of our clients are met.''

The centres are closing because they no longer meet registration regulations and their location in the middle of an industrial estate is believed to be inadequate.

None of the six organisations taking over the operation from Capability Scotland will have a base from which to work, however, and users of the service believe close friendships built up over the centre's 35 year existence will be destroyed.