NEWPORT council is to further review how it can best provide meals and contact care for the city's elderly.

The move comes after weeks of pressure following the council's announcement it was to axe funding for the meals-on-wheels service in order to save £114,000.

In a statement, council leader Bob Bright said a special forum of councillors would review the service and take evidence from organisations that care for the elderly. He said: "As the council has said throughout, we are committed to making sure that everyone who presently needs a meal will continue to receive one.

"We also fully recognise the importance of the contact the WRVS volunteers provide.

"For both the above reasons, we will use that time to carry out a further review of how best to provide essential meals and care and contact for the elderly."

The current meals service is to continue until the review is completed. It is expected to be finished by June. Norma Frost, WRVS meals-on-wheels volunteer, welcomed the move.

She said: "We would definitely want to make representations to the forum. The evidence for continuing the service is strong enough, we just hope they will listen."

Last week Argus reporters took to the road with the WRVS on their meals-on-wheels round and found pensioners devastated by the council's decision to axe funding.

Among those angered by the decision was 89-year-old David Rogers, from Gaer, who fought back the tears to tell how the service and its volunteers had been "his saviour".

Mr Rogers said he hoped the council would now listen to the representations made in the review.

He said: "Anything that helps to change their mind is a good thing. I hope they will be speaking to the WRVS."

Rogerstone community council has also joined the fight to save the service, calling upon other community councils and groups to urge the city council to reconsider. But in an interview with the Argus last week city mayor Paul Cockeram said the council would not do a U-turn on its decision to axe funding.

Councillor Bright added: "Over the last three years Newport city council has been increasingly investing in its services for older people.

"If services are to be modernised to meet needs in the twenty-first century then we need to question old established ways of doing things."