A MENTAL hospital in Pilning, which was once slammed for allowing a killer to escape and rape a 14-year-old girl, is to close.

Bosses at the National Autistic Society (NAS), which runs the Hayes Hospital for people with autism who have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, announced the closure on Monday.

Nearly 25 staff are now facing redundancy and consultation with those affected is now underway.

In a statement the charity said the hospital was no longer financially viable despite recent investment.

In November 2008 an Independent External Review Team gave the hospital nine months to improve its security, staff training and patient vetting policy.

The damning review came after patient Darren Harkin, 21, was allowed to abscond and went on to rape a teenage girl in neighbouring South Wales.

Harkin, who suffered from autism and schizophrenia, had only been at the low security hospital for a year but had been detained by mental health services since 2000 when he stabbed his six-month-old stepbrother to death.

Harkin was later sent to Broadmoor Prison indefinitely after admitting escaping from lawful custody, burglary and two counts of rape.

A spokesman for the charity said: "The service has undergone significant transition over the last year. Changes in the type of support the hospital provided resulted in some service users being moved to other services while others have moved on naturally as part of their therapeutic programme.

"Efforts to fill the consequent places have sadly been unsuccessful and the hospital has been operating at a heavy loss, which is no longer sustainable.

"The NAS, as the UK's leading charity for autism, is extremely disappointed at this outcome and continues to believe there is a real and pressing need for autism specific services for those with complex needs."

The NAS has now started a consultation with its 32 staff and the two remaining patients at The Hayes. It is expected redundancies could affect 24 of the staff, most of whom are service support workers, including admin and maintenance staff.

The closure is due to be finalised within the next month.

Steve Webb, Northavon MP, said: "People living near the site had concerns and there had been regrettable incidents, so I am sure it will come as a relief to the local community.

"However, it is sad that this has happened because there will still be a need for people with severe autism who need a secure environment."

Cllr Peter Tyzack, South Gloucestershire councillor for Pilning and Severn Beach, said: "They had done a lot of work with the community to resolve many problems and build confidence. We were hoping it was going from strength to strength."