A "crucial service" which helps people with mental health problems is facing closure because of council cuts.

The Bridge, in Christchurch Avenue, could close next year if Harrow Council follows through on proposals to cut the budget for the facility entirely.

The council said a number of consultation events have been planned for this week and next and people can continue to give their views until March 16.

Following the first consultation on February 3 with current clients and carers of the service it was felt that the local authority was not taking into consideration the impact that closing The Bridge's unique services will have on the 400 people who use them every week.

Services manager at The Bridge Kat Moore said: "Making this cut and closing the service altogether will have a significant impact on mental health service users of Harrow, and will cause a heavy strain on the remaining NHS and supporting local services."

Several charities run programmes out of the centre in addition to The Bridge's own services including personalised recovery and goal planning support, drop-in facilities and an on-site cafe to ensure clients get a full nutritious meal.

She said there had been an "extremely concerning" lack of consultation with the centre's clients in the run up to this consultation.

The meeting held on February 3 was the first users of the centre were told about its potential closure, with the service potentially being shut on May 31 this year.

Ms Moore said this did not provide appropriate time for alternative care and support to be provided for the many vulnerable adults that benefit daily form the support provided at the service.

The council has proposed that The Bridge's current services could be delivered through The Wise Works service, which provides personal budget support for people with mental health problems to get back into work.

However, there will be no extra staffing facilities provided for this and there are concerns at the capacity of other services being able to cope with this demand.

Ms Moore said demand for its services has always been high and The Bridge has been operating with a waiting list for a long time.

She said: "Without this resource, there will be no where for these clients to go to receive support. Our service picks up the majority of individuals who are discharged from the community mental health teams, or who do not have a personal budget and without us, no other services are available for this."

Cllr Anne Whitehead, responsible for Adults and Older People at Harrow Council, said: "Whatever happens at the Bridge in the future, we are completely committed to continuing to support families and protect the vulnerable.

"Despite £83 million of government cuts which are forcing us to make proposals like this, we are determined to achieve more with less in the future.

"That’s why we want to hear from every single person who uses the Bridge in our upcoming consultation as we plan the future of our services."

There will be further public consultations happening on Thursday, February 4, from 6pm to 7.30pm and Thursday, February 11, from 10.30am to 12pm.

Both events will be held in the Members Lounge at the Civic Centre. All are welcome.