JAILED convicts have more rights than old people living in private care homes, leading charities say.

The Human Rights Act, which allows criminals to sue prisons, leaves elderly residents powerless, according to Help the Aged and Age Concern.

The charities yesterday called for a law providing more protection for elderly people.

Their demand came on the day The Northern Echo revealed evidence of abuse of elderly people in a privately run care home in the North-East.

In a three-minute mobile phone video, a woman appears to try to incite confrontation between residents, goading a man and a woman into shouting foul-mouthed abuse at each other.

A Durham County Council investigation into the incident is continuing.

The charities' demand also comes as a Parliamentary Human Rights Committee is finalising a response to a ruling freeing private care homes from the Human Rights Act.

Sam Heath, from Age Concern, said: "Public-run institutions have to protect their employees' human rights to dignity, human life and family life.

"So, prisoners and young people in detention centres are protected, but anyone living in a care home is not.

"This means there are situations where, although nothing illegal is happening, someone is being robbed of their dignity and abused, and they are not protected.

"People are being fed while on the toilet, evicted and ignored.

"It is vitally important that the Government introduces the Human Rights Act in private care homes."

Annie Stevenson, from Help the Aged, said: "Prisoners now have more rights than people in care homes. It seems sometimes we give animals more attention. It is very disturbing."

Since the Human Rights Act was passed, it has been invoked on behalf of several high-profile criminals.

Last month, it emerged Chah Oh-Niyol Kai Whitewind, a Shamanic pagan serving a life sentence in Low Newton Prison, Durham, for suffocating her 12-week-old son, is suing the prison for refusing her a drum so she can talk to the dead.

Nearly 200 criminals have won compensation after they were forced to stop taking heroin while in jail.

Meanwhile, the victim of rapist Iorworth Hoare, who won the Lottery with a ticket bought in Middlesbrough while on day release from prison, was prevented from suing him for damages.