>Scottish council, Argyll and Bute, may face the first legal challenge of its kind over its decision to cut funding to Neighbourhood Networks, a charity supporting people with learning disabilities to live independently.

Neighbourhood Networks has said it will seek a judicial review. The charity says the council had not properly assessed the impact on people with learning disabilities when it took the decision to help those in priority need.

If the judicial review goes ahead, Argyll and Bute will become the first Scottish council to have its responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act tested in this way with possible major repercussions for other councils across Scotland.

Argyll and Bute MSP, Michael Russell said that Neighbourhood Networks was ‘a much-valued community-based support’.