An investigation has been launched after the family of an elderly man claim he was left in appalling conditions in council-run sheltered accommodation.

Brian Rudd claims his 95-year-old father-in-law, William Mould, was living in squalid conditions at Dalkeith House in Darlington with soiled bed sheets and irregular visits from social services carers.

In the last months of his life, Mr Mould's mental health deteriorated but Mr Rudd, 69, claims Darlington Borough Council's social services carers were not well enough trained to cope with his illness or the mess he was living in.

Mr Mould had been assessed to receive three visits a day from carers at the sheltered accommodation complex but Mr Rudd claims these visits did not always happen.

Mr Mould's plight was discovered when his son-in-law was called to see him from his home in the Isle of Man.

Mr Rudd was shocked at what he discovered. He said: "Mr Mould was demented, wandering in his mind and hardly knew me and he was living in squalor - everything was a pitiful state."

Mr Rudd decide to stay to nurse his father-in-law and claims during his stay there were only irregular visits from the carers, who were sub-contracted by the council.

Mr Rudd said: "I had to give Mr Mould 24-hour nursing, feeding and cleaning and I will be 70 myself next year.

"On my return home I was diagnosed with gastro-enteritis which I am sure was connected to the conditions I found.

"I do understand that sheltered accommodation means just that with a warden on call for minor things such as a fall and I have no argument with the warden but that does not excuse social services sub-contracting to badly paid staff who can not cope."

Just five days after arriving in Darlington, Mr Rudd moved his father-in-law to the privately-run Ventress Hall nursing home in Trinity Road.

Sadly Mr Mould died after just three weeks in the new home from Alzheimer's disease and a swelling in his abdomen, unconnected to his time in Dalkeith House.

Mr Rudd has no complaint about the warden at Dalkeith House or the carers who he claims did their best but he has issued an official complaint against social services for sub-contracting the care of his father-in-law to people he claims could not cope. A council spokesman confirmed an investigation was ongoing into the claims and said he could not comment until the investigation was over.