ANGRY students at Bury College are continuing to battle against the closure of counselling courses due to funding cutbacks.

Budding counsellors currently on a preliminary course are disappointed that they will not be able to study the two-year counselling diploma, due to start in January.

Some of the students met with college principal Lauran Chatburn last month to discuss the matter, where they received an apology for the cancellation of the courses.

However, the college says it is unable to re-instate the course and students will have to enrol at colleges in neighbouring towns if they wish to continue their studies.

Mrs Chatburn said: "Unfortunately, due to national cuts by the government, the college has seen a significant reduction in adult funding. It is regrettable that we are no longer able to offer counselling courses. We are liaising with local providers to help and support these students onto the next level of their course in September 2007."

The students have raised the problem with Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, Fred Bowen, chairman of governors at the college, and the Learning and Skills Council.

They are determined to continue fighting the closure, even though time is running out.

Student Donna Webb said: "We are all really unhappy about this and most of us still don't know whether we will be studying counselling in January. Some people have applied for courses at other colleges, but there are students who have to use public transport and will find it difficult to travel.

"We are coming to the end of our current courses and they will be useless if we don't have the diploma. We feel the college has really let us down."