Disabled residents living near the borders of Ceredigion are to lose access to care services following a council decision.

Rory White, 39, who has cerebral palsy and learning difficulties, has attended Canolfan Steffan’s services in Lampeter every weekday since 2008, where he’s able to play sports, cook and craft.

Having grown up in Lampeter, eight years ago he and his mum moved across the border to Pencarreg in Carmarthenshire, just 10 minutes away from the centre.

Thanks to an agreement between the two county councils, he was able to continue attending the day centre five days a week, with Carmarthenshire paying £140 a day for the care.

However this is about to change following a review of services, as Ceredigion County Council announces it is pulling the plug on ‘out of county’ care placements due to increasing numbers of ‘individuals requiring tailored and specialist support’.

Despite Carmarthenshire offering to send their own staff to support Rory, who lives much closer to Canolfan Steffan than the Carmarthenshire services in Johnstown which is over 40 minutes away, Rory will be forced to move this November.

His mum, Diane White, 62, has said the news has been “devastating” for him: “I haven’t got words to describe the effect it’s had on him.

“He couldn’t understand, and I couldn’t explain it to him because, to be perfectly honest, I don’t understand it.

“How can these people have so much control over someone's life and be so detrimental to their wellbeing, when they’ve never met him?

“They’ve no idea what they’re doing and the impact they’re having - it’s devastating.

“People attend schools across borders, so why can’t they attend care centres if we live that close?”

His family petitioned Ceredigion against the decision, gaining 1,435 signatures.

In a letter from Donna Pritchard, Deputy Director of Social Services at Ceredigion County Council, she explains the increasing number of people needing their services has placed “logistical and moral responsibilities upon us to ensure that our services remain responsive, inclusive and locally rooted”.

Pritchard added that because of the review, the council will be “ending our current provision for service users living outside of Ceredigion”.

Families like the White’s are unable to appeal this decision because they’re not Ceredigion residents.

Carmarthenshire MP Ann Davies and MS Adam Price wrote to the council on the White’s behalf, with Chief Executive of Ceredigion Council Eifion Evans responding that Carmarthenshire has statutory responsibility for Rory’s care.

He wrote that despite Ceredigion writing to Carmarthenshire to collaborate “in supporting a transition plan,” they had had no response.

Carmarthenshire County Council has been contacted for comment.

Rory said on the decision: “It hurt me inside.

“I like it here [Canolfan Steffan] a lot.

“I’m not good in myself.

“I don’t know why they want to stop me coming here...

“I like it here so much and will miss my friends and the staff too.

“It’s always on my mind and keeps me awake a bit at night.”