PLANS to replace one of Wales’ oldest mental asylums with a new £80m hospital have been put aside in the face of declining admission rates.

A WELSH council already under “special measures” due to failings in children’s social services has investigated the deaths of three more children in its care.

MORE than 100 angry protestors gathered at Caerphilly council headquarters last night, demonstrating against the possible closure of a Risca care home.

Deputy minister for housing and regeneration Jocelyn Davies AM announced the £4.9m Wales-wide package will be awarded to Care and Repair Cymru and to individual Care and Repair agencies across Wales.

A UNIQUE service for people with young-onset dementia that was threatened with closure has been given a four-month lifeline. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has said it will provide additional funding for the service until June.

Around 300 care home workers and their supporters marched through Port Talbot in South Wales to protest against privatisation last week.

A councillor has called for an inquiry into the “shocking case” of a mother in Gwynedd who bottle fed her baby the heroin substitute methadone.

UNION bosses have vowed to step up the fight against the privatisation of home care jobs in Carmarthenshire.

FAMILIES have vowed to fight the threatened closure of the only service for people with early onset dementia in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

A playgroup at the centre of a sexual assault allegation will remain closed until later this month. St Padarn’s Playgroup committee in Aberystwyth has said it would not reopen until 22 February at the earliest.