Helen Ley in Leamington will close

The respite care home, which provides specialist care for people with multiple sclerosis, will close at the end of January.

The patients, their families and friends who depend on the service provided by the centre in Blackdown, Leamington, were hit with the news on Tuesday.

An announcement was made by the centre’s current owner, the MS Society, following a break-down in talks with MS Respite & Care Service Ltd, which until last month was due to take over the running of Helen Ley.

The charity has been trying to find an alternative provider since it made the decision to end its respite care services last year.

Following Tuesday’s announcement, the Courier was inundated with the shocked reactions of the people directly affected. See our newspaper edition on Friday for a full report.