Negotiations are continuing between Walsall Council and the company which runs the meals-on-wheels services in the borough. Just weeks remain until Sodexo’s contract is due to expire on January 6.

Council bosses had offered the company a six-month extension which they have turned down.

Paul Davies, Walsall Council’s executive director for social care, said talks between the parties were still going on.

Mr Davies has previously said that nobody would go without a meal or service, regardless of what position Sodexo has adopted by January 6.

Meals-on-wheels services in Walsall are being revolutionised in order to save £1 million over the next three years, with plans including encouraging the elderly to attend lunch clubs and order food from takeaways.

A new £220,000 community meals service is also being launched next year.

Taste for Life will be run by Caldmore Housing Association, Age UK Walsall and Walsall Housing Regeneration Agency, while Walsall Council has pledged hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep the scheme running until March 2012.

It is expected to be used by between 300 and 400 people who will be transported from their homes to lunch clubs at venues across the borough.

It is expected that transforming the service will help save £1million over the next three years at the council, which is battling to save £65 million. Jobs are being axed and libraries face closure.