Parents distraught as revolutionary dyslexia centre forced to close overnight

Set up and funded by millionaire businessman Wynford Dore, Britain's 13 Dore clinics used exercise techniques first developed by Nasa to improve the reading and writing of adults and children.

Past clients include Eighties popstar Toyah Wilcox and former Scotland rugby international Kenny Logan, both of whom describe the £2,000 programme as life-changing.

Singer Toyah Wilcox and rugby star Kenny Logan have both described the exercise techniques developed at the Dore dyslexia clinics as life-changing

Worldwide, some 40,000 people are said to have completed the programme which includes exercises such as walking downstairs backwards with your eyes closed and balancing on a wobble board.

But, last week, Dore in Australia went into administration and on Tuesday the British operation suffered the same fate.

All 175 staff have been made redundant, leaving thousands of patients part-way through their treatment.

Administrators Kroll say they are in discussion with potential buyers. However, there is no guarantee that clients will get the money they are owed.

Those who are part-way through treatment are advised to log onto the Dore website for updates to their programme.

In a letter to Australian patients, Dr Roy Rutherford, the group's global medical director, urges patience, suggesting that if all else fails clients can repeat old exercises, focusing on the more difficult ones.

In a statement, the UK administrator said: 'Our immediate priority is to explore all options for the business including identifying any potential purchasers.

'We are working closely with the management team who are seeking to provide alternative treatment arrangements for all current Dore clients.'

Dore's insolvency is blamed on treatments being sold at a loss, with Mr Dore putting £1,000 towards every course.

In the last five years, he is said to have ploughed £15million into the business.

Mr Dore, a millionaire from Warwickshire, discovered the technique in his search to find a cure for his daughter Susie, who suffered from dyslexia so severe she tried to commit suicide.

The techniques - first used by Nasa to combat temporary dyslexia suffered by astronauts - are designed to stimulate the cerebellum, the tangerine-sized part of the brain that controls co-ordination.

Despite scepticism about the cerebellum's role in dyslexia, an academic study published in 2006 found the treatment transformed the reading and writing skills of children with the condition, even allowing them to beat classmates with no learning difficulties in literacy tests.

The researchers said: 'In the 12 months of treatment, the children made 20 months' improvement in their reading progress and caught up with their peers.

'After the treatment, the children maintained their progress - in other words, the treatment provided a permanent solution to their problem.'

The study was, however, subject to severe criticism and complaints that the trial had not been carried out fairly.