THE family of a late former council leader invoked his memory to plead with his successors to save seven care homes from closure yesterday.

Former Durham County Council leader Albert Nugent’s widow, Margaret, and daughter, Carole Wood, joined an anti-closure protest outside County Hall, holding a placard bearing his picture.

As councillors entered the authority’s annual meeting, they asked each to remember him when they vote on the issue.

Mrs Nugent, 69, said: “Albert’s gone but his family will keep fighting as long as there’s breath in our bodies.

“We’re supporting the people living in these homes who don’t want to be evicted.

“Albert always said you fight for people who can’t fight for themselves.

We’re standing here to fight for the people he fought for until his death.”

Mrs Wood said: “Some of the councillors who worked with my dad are still here and we’re hoping they will use their vote to keep these homes open.”

Councillors are expected to vote on whether to close seven homes in July. A three-month consultation closed on Friday, April 30.

The council says the homes are expensive to run, have more empty beds than the private sector and would cost millions to bring up to standard.

Council leader Simon Henig said: “We had a long consultation and an awful lot of people responded.

“It would have been wrong for the issue to be tabled today. We will take all the time necessary to go through every consultation response.”

The protest also involved care home staff and people with relatives living in the homes.

Terry Scarr, senior organiser for the GMB union, said: “The council should try to save as many homes as it can. The authority should be trying to maintain as many jobs as possible.

If all seven homes closed, it would cost 300 jobs.”

As council leader from 2006 to 2008, Coun Nugent saved three homes from previous closure plans.

He died on Friday, April 2, aged 67.

Yesterday’s full council meeting observed a minute’s silence in memory of Coun Nugent and Sapper Daryn Roy, of 21 Engineer Regiment, from Dipton, County Durham, who was killed in Afghanistan on Monday, May 3.