A controversial move to drop funding from a support group for families of children with special needs was pushed ahead this week despite opposition from parents.

Protesters in the town hall reacted angrily after councillors decided on Tuesday to continue with plans to switch a £137,000 contract away from Ealing-based Intuition Parent Partnership to ContinYou, whose offices are in Tower Hamlets.

The decision had been referred back to cabinet after the council's scrutiny committee raised concerns about the processes followed, but the handover will now go ahead at the end of December.

Hanwell mother Clare Breen, who has been helped by the organisation, says she is now uncertain where she will turn when her nine-year-old son transfers to a secondary school in January.

She said: "There are only two weeks left of term time and I don't know who is going to support me or help me.

"Intuition have really helped lots of families. I think they were costing the council too much money because they were ensuring children got the help to which they were entitled."

Father Chris McAllen, of Penn Close, Greenford, said: "The way the council have handled this seems very suspect.

"If it wasn't for Intuition, our son wouldn't have got into the school he wanted to go to. They've always been a first class provider.

"We're worried that the new people will not have the experience, knowledge and local connections that Intuition has built up over the years."

Questions were raised after it emerged Intuition was not among seven organisations invited to tender for the contract, but an internal investigation concluded officers had acted properly.

Deputy council leader Ian Gibb said: "We are confident that the whole process was transparent and there are no concerns that the wrong decision was made."

Intuition will continue to operate after signing a new contract with Hammersmith and Fulham Council.