AN OXFORDSHIRE county councillor has admitted that social service's cost-cutting plans will bring "untold misery" to children and families.

Cllr Janet Godden, leader of the Liberal Democrats and executive member for children and young people, said cuts to residential respite care centres for disabled children in Abingdon, Banbury and Henley were not the only areas of concern.

"The reductions that are taking place across the county will also affect other areas of children's services," she said. "All these measures will bring untold misery to children and families to whom life has already dealt a tough hand."

As the county council prepares to prune its social services budget by nearly £9m, the three respite care centres for children face closure, to the despair of parents and children.

Campaigners defending Summerfield centre in Wootton Road, Abingdon, were out in force on Easter Saturday at the Tesco store and they were overwhelmed with support from shoppers, 2,000 of whom signed a petition.

One of the organisers, Linda Coles, from Membury Way, Grove, said: "It was an unbelievable response and just goes to show the depth of feeling."

Mrs Coles and husband Gary have a seven-year-old daughter Emily who was born with a small head and her brain has not developed.

She is deaf and cannot walk or talk properly. She has one night per month respite care at Summerfield.

Mrs Coles said: "You can't imagine how valuable that one night is to us as a family.

"If Summerfield closes it will be a cruel blow to us and many other families."

The Save Summerfield group plans to join with other dissenters on April 9, when the county council discusses the proposals. A march from Carfax in Oxford to County Hall is proposed, when petitions will be handed in.