A LABOUR councillor has led a rousing condemnation of the decision to withdraw three support workers from a special needs school in Sauchie.

Councillor George Matchett QPM described the plan to reduce the staff numbers at Lochies School as a "damning practice" which would hit the most disadvantaged youngsters in the county.

At last Tuesday's special council meeting at Kilncraigs, he vehemently opposed the proposal which was put forth as part of cost cutting measures within the Clackmannanshire Council budget for 2016-17.

Clackmannanshire Council said budget restraints meant they were forced to review all non-teaching posts in the county, but insisted "provisions" would still be made for youngsters attending the school.

Describing the reduction of support staff as a red-line issue, councillor Matchett opposed the budget at the meeting and called for the public to ask "serious questions" of the administration for the decision.

He also refused to back an amendment put forth by councillor Archie Drummond to revoke the £118,125 cut to music tuition, also in the budget, arguing the money would have been better given to Lochies.

Councillor Matchett told the Advertiser: "As far as I was concerned, there was no way I could have supported that budget.

"We cannot ignore the most severely disadvantaged people in our society and there is no doubt this will be felt severely at Lochies.

"These inclusion workers are there to help the teachers and to provide invaluable one-to-one care. These children are severely disabled; they require the individual support.

"Staff at the school were not aware that this was coming and I am sure taking these three crucial workers out of the school will place severe strain on the staff there."

He added: "I seriously hope that the general public, when they hear of this, will ask serious questions about this and wonder why this damning practice of removing these workers has been allowed.

"We have a very serious duty of care to these children and the last thing we should be doing is taking away the care they desperately need."

Lochies School, based alongside Deer Park Primary School in Sauchie, cares for and educates children with severe and complex additional support needs.

It currently has a roll of 27 students and 26 members of staff, but as of April this year, they will lose all three inclusion support workers based there.

During last week's special council meeting, councillor Matchett told the chamber: "There is no way I'm going to put my name to something that makes [these children] further disadvantaged."

His protest was echoed by his Labour colleagues, with Sauchie councillor Graham Watt arguing the the council was now "presiding over cuts against the most vulnerable in our society".

Fellow Sauchie councillor Derek Stewart also added: "I'm asking you [administration] go back and reconsider this."

This week, a spokesperson from Clackmannanshire Council said: "Given the scale of the savings required by the council, and the freeze on teacher numbers, the education service had to consider all non-teaching posts.

"In light of the decisions taken at council, the education service will review all support staff and ensure that provision is made for children and young people with additional support needs."