A HOSPICE for young adults will not open in the district, it has emerged.

Nick Garner, fundraising co-ordinator for J’s Hospice, told the Guardian last week that the charity is looking for land in and around Epping Forest and has already approached the council about potential sites.

But Beverley Barclay, J’s nursing director, insists this is not the case and J’s are only considering a site near Chelmsford.

She said: “But we are fund raising to trying and establish a family home care service around Chelmsford in partnership with the other adult hospices in the area.

"I wish to apologise to the other adult hospices and anyone else who may have been upset by the information given in the previous article, especially that children's hospices don't take young adults because they do, up to the age of 19. And the average age in an adult hospice isn't 70.”

Mrs Barclay added that the new hospice will not be the first of its kind in the UK.

Mr Garner is currently on holiday and unavailable to comment.