Staff have stepped in to save a day centre's kitchen, regarded as a lifeline for the elderly, after the council axed its funding.

Banstead Day Centre kitchen, in The Horseshoe in Bolters Lane, provides freshly-cooked hot lunches for old people, but had its funding cut by Reigate and Banstead Council.

Along with Woodhatch and Horley community centres, its management committee took over the running of the service on April 1- a move that has delighted the 25 people who eat there each day.

The kitchen now has one chef, instead of two, and has grown in popularity by offering new meal options.

Instead of the previous £5 main meal and dessert there are now three separate courses available to choose from - including home-made soup and a roll for £1.50.

Cyril Cooper, 89, said: "I have been visiting the centre for five years and since taking over the committee has been working together to do a marvellous job. There are no complaints."

Eileen Casserley, 88 said: "The service is absolutely wonderful and the meals are much better – everything is lovely. There are a lot of people who love coming here."

Pat Burton, chair of the management committee, said: "The council advertises that they care about the elderly but they wanted to take away this essential facility for old people who are frail, unable to cook for themselves or go shopping.

"It gets them out and they sit round the table together and talk. For a lot of them it is their lifeline.

"There is no meals-on-wheels service in the area, but even if there was, the elderly people would still be sitting indoors and eating on their own.

"The council said it cost £7,000 a year to subsidise the service, but it didn’t look at how the service was run or even try to make it better so we have done this. So far it is working well."

A council spokeswoman said: "Faced with rising food costs, reducing income and too few customers to make the service viable, the council took the decision to stop funding the hot meals service.

"The remaining staff will continue to be employed by the council but the majority of the costs of the service will be paid for by the management committee.

"This arrangement is initially for a trial period of one year.

"We are very grateful for the continued support of the three management committees and wish them every success with this new venture."

Mrs Barton added: "There is one elderly lady with Alzheimer’s, who is brought to the centre by her friend, who didn’t used to eat anything, but she has soup every day now and sometimes something sweet.

"A soup and roll for lunch suits a lot of the elderly people in terms of money and their diets."