Project workers are dismayed by plans to close down a hostel for homeless young people in Crawley.

Workers at the Short Term Accommodation for Youth (Stay) hostel are concerned their vulnerable residents will be dispersed to other hostels which cater for adults recovering from drink or drug problems.

They fear the trust which has been built up between the 16 young people and workers at the hostel, in Three Bridges Road, will be ruined, damaging help already given.

Staff have been told the hostel for people aged between 16 and 25 would close by the end of the month after Crawley Borough Council decided not to give the centre a grant.

Project worker Henrietta Shephard said: "We have told the kids and like us they were devastated. Our biggest concern is for the residents. Many of them are very vulnerable and don't want to work with other people.

"They have a security blanket here and if that is taken away from them I don't know what will happen. Of course it's terrible that we will lose our jobs but our biggest worry is the kids."

She said some of the young residents would be offered accommodation at hostels that were more like walk-in centres, which could not offer the same long-term support.

She added: "That is fine for the people who are there but for our youngsters it's just not the right place for them to be.

"There are people in the other hostels who have different problems to the ones these kids have and they won't have the key worker system we have."

The Stay project has been in the town for the past 16 years. Young people, who have become homeless usually through family problems, are taught skills, such as cooking and basic carpentry, and guided to independence by key workers.

Youngsters start off at Three Bridges, where they have their own room and pay £15 per week. When ready they are introduced to more independent accommodation in Crawley and wait to be housed by the council.

Brenda Smith, former chairman of the council committee which awards grants, said: "We decided to not make a grant mainly because the hostel was in serious financial difficulties and a grant would not have made any difference.

"It would have been irresponsible to have given public money to a body that was failing anyway."

Lib Dem councillor Gordon Seekings said: "It's done such a lot of good for kids in this town. I will be asking questions about this."