A group for the mentally ill has been thrown out of its home after 30 years - to make way for the younger generation.

The Otley Windmill Club and Drop-in Centre has been told by Leeds City Council that it will have to find new premises when the Cross Green Youth Centre reopens.

The club has used the centre every week for 30 years and members are determined to fight the council's decision.

Trustee Ron Sweeney said: "Without any prior warning we have received a letter for the council saying we are not welcome any more.

"We will have no home after 30 years and at the moment we do not know what is going to happen. We believe it will cost between £500 to £1,000 to hire somewhere else and we didn't have to pay rent at Cross Green.

"Otley Town Council has said it will do its best to help us. We have not been able to prepare our winter programme, which starts in September, because we may have no where to meet.

"It is a drop-in centre and it needs to be in a central position and the centre was ideal. We do not want to move."

The group arranges social facilities and community support for lonely, mentally and emotionally unwell people.

Mayor of Otley councillor Nigel Francis said: "It is very sad that they are being turfed out of there after all these years.

"I do not like the way the project has been handled. It was supposed to finished last October and it is still not finished that has to be explained by someone, if it was a private sector contractor it would have been taken off them.

"I don't like the way the groups have been treated they have been there for so many years. I am hoping to talk to the person in charge, because the whole thing stinks. They have given no reason for it. It is a second home for their members and we just don't know what it will do to them."

The groups meets every Thursday evening for two hours and provides company and entertainment.

It has six volunteers and cares for 25 people at the drop-in centre.

"Many of them do not have the opportunity to meet up with people during the week," added Mr Sweeney. "The majority of them used to be in High Royds and when it was closed they were transferred to sheltered housing in the area. "

The council offered the group different times during the day but volunteers are only able to meet in the evening.

A council spokesman said: "We have the greatest of sympathy for the Windmill Group, and we are still hopeful that we may be able to continue to accommodate them. The need to accommodate the All Saints out of school club is having an affect on our ability to accommodate other groups. However, we are doing what we can to avoid disappointing longstanding customers."