A day centre for people with mental health problems is in danger of having to shut its doors because it faces a huge leap in rent.

Mora House Day Centre in Crawley has had its annual rent increased tenfold by Crawley Borough Council from £2,100 to £21,000.

It is believed the new deal also means Crawley Association for Mental Health will have to pay for building repairs, insurance and legal fees, which were previously met by the council, and provide a guarantee it will be able to meet the rent demand for the next five years.

It is a desperate situation. If the day centre was to close, one of the most vulnerable and isolated sections of society would be affected.

Unfortunately, the people who run Mora House, which is affiliated to the national charity Mind, are not completely blameless.

The council claims Mora House staff were given plenty of warning that the change in status of the centre from a residential hostel to a day centre would result in increased rent.

Despite having had two years to apply for alternative funding to maintain their service, nothing was done to safeguard the centre's future until two weeks ago.

It is the very people they were trying to help, those suffering from mental health problems, who will be the victims if the situation cannot be resolved.