Aberdeen City Council is carrying out a top level inquiry into a charity following comments made by its head after a court case.

The council has suspended the use of the Delta organisation after one of its voluntary workers admitted indecently assaulting two men with special needs.

Delta runs a Sunday social club for the elderly and people with disabilities in a hall at the Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen.

Paul Miller stood by his comments

A spokesman for the hospital said it had withdrawn that facility with immediate effect.

The council now plans an inquiry into Delta, which has used council-owned buses for transportation.

The charity has been operated by Paul Miller, 84, for the last 25 years.

He was contacted by BBC Scotland following a case at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in which volunteer driver Henry Spalding admitted two charges of indecent assault.

Mr Spalding is due to be sentenced next month.

Learning difficulties

When he was questioned about the incidents, Mr Miller said the victims had probably deserved it and said they were weak individuals.

He also said that people with learning difficulties brought down the ethos of Delta.

On Thursday, Mr Miller told the BBC that he stood by his comments.

Henry Spalding will be sentenced later

However, he said he was so upset by what had happened that he may consider winding up the charity.

The comments shocked Aberdeen Labour Councillor David Maitland, who said the allegations were of the "utmost seriousness".

"Due to the very very serious nature of the allegations we have received we have launched an immediate inquiry and we have immediately suspended all operations with this organisation.

"We don't take these steps very lightly but the allegations are of such a serious nature that we really have to ensure that we take all necessary steps to get to the bottom of these allegations," he said.

It has also emerged that the city council was concerned about the organisation some months ago and received assurances about its management.

Second case

Cornerstone Community Care, the organisation which provided accommodation to the victims who were abused by Spalding, said it was concerned about Mr Miller's views.

"Cornerstone community care has no relationship with Delta and we have urged the people that we support not to make use of their facilities," it added.

Spalding is the second Delta driver to appear in court in recent months.

In March, another man was placed on probation after driving a council-owned bus while more than four times the legal drink limit.