Parents face a new search to find funding for "vital" play activities for their severely disabled children.

Barnet Borough Council last year proposed cutting £45,000 worth of disabled play after school and holiday activities from Mapledown School, in Claremont Road, Cricklewood.

READ MORE: 'They are putting votes before the vulnerable'

But after a long campaign, supported by Finchley and Golders Green Labour parliamentary candidate Sarah Sackman, the club was given a stay of execution until April 2015.

The authority has now published a statement saying it can no longer fund the school directly because its bid to keep running the club “fell short on both quality and price”.

As an alternative, each family has been given £1,600 on council debit cards to pay for care until July 23, when the amount will be reviewed.

But parents at Mapledown say the amount is only enough to run the after-school club for five weeks - and they cannot necessarily find the equivalent service anywhere else.

Families are now desperately fighting to get the club reinstated because they say it gives them and their children the only chance of respite they have.

Tina Qwabi, whose son, David, 16, has epilepsy, cerebral palsy and a development disorder, said the sessions were “invaluable”.

She said: “My son isn’t able to make friends, but when you see him interact with other children it’s amazing. It’s so touching. It’s the only chance he gets to do that.”

The parents claim they have been told to look on Barnet Council’s website for alternative activities but there is nothing suitable for their severely disabled children.

Dr Jean Egypong, whose son, Jordan, 13, has severe learning needs and still wears nappies, says his life has been turned “upside down” by these cuts.

Jordan is unable to stay at home on his own, so his other children have had to forego their own after-school activities to care for him until their parents come home.

Dr Egypong, a neonatal consultant, said: “The activities and staff are amazing and Mapledown has the right people to look after him. I trust them.

“If he were to go somewhere else, his vulnerability increases and if he gets distressed, he might start biting. It’s damaging their lives.”

Teresa Ball, whose son, Luke Ball, 18, uses a wheelchair, said: “The thing Luke really valued at the after school club was hydrotherapy but I can’t take him swimming myself.

“There’s literally nothing else on the council website that’s appropriate for Luke.”

John Weaver, whose daughter, Hannah, 19, has autism and a development disorder, said: “This is something different for them. It isn’t on – it’s causing chaos in their lives.”

Kristine Canavan, whose son, Liam attends the club, said: “You don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you but something needs to be done. They told us we should be fundraising.

“We are back at square one but worse.”

Ahmed Shahid, whose daughter, Hannah, goes to the school, said: “Whoever made this decision needs to see a psychiatrist. These cuts are not justified.”

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is up for re-election, said on a visit to Finchley this morning: “Barnet must have to make their decisions.

"The responsibility of government is to make sure that there’s the money available. Barnet Council overall gets a little bit ahead of the national average but obviously they have to make the appropriate decisions with the money they have.”

Barnet Council says it has not changed the funding available for children with multiple needs, but has changed the way services are provided.

In a statement, they said: “All providers of shortbreak and respite care now have to meet a quality framework to be on a register to supply this service. Although Mapledown bid to be part of this register fell short on both quality and price and they failed to become a registered provider. That means that the council cannot fund them directly.

“We are obviously committed to supporting parents and children and we proposed two options, either to bring in another provider to run the after-school clubs, who could use existing staff and premises and be funded directly, or to provide direct budgets to parents who can then buy care from whichever provider they choose in whatever form they want. This includes Mapledown.

“At the request of the school, the council provided personal budgets to parents and some parents have chosen to purchase care over the Easter break rather than after-school care.

“Mapledown’s prices for care are substantially higher than all of the providers on our register so the council is now looking again at whether we can bring another provider into the school. This will require the approval of school governors but would be able to support parents who wish to use the after school club with care until the end of term.”