ANXIOUS relatives of residents in a care home threatened with closure have been given hope after the owner said he will do everything he can to keep it open.

Last month, an action group was formed by families of residents in Graceland Care Home, Guisborough, after owner Barry Parvin revealed plans to shut the premises due to "financial pressures and government policy".

The group - including one man who flew thousands of miles across the Atlantic to be there - held a public meeting on Saturday to discuss the way forward in their fight to keep it open.

If Graceland closed it would leave the 51 residents, most of whom suffer from dementia and Alzheimer's, without homes.

Mr Parvin told the meeting: "You are all concerned about what is going to happen to your relatives and we still say it is our intention to keep the home open as long as we can.

"As long as the Primary Care Trust and Redcar and Cleveland Council are trying to help us I am sure we will achieve that.

"Now we are no longer fighting with them we are trying to work with them to solve the problem."

Relatives were urged by Ann Langley, chairwoman of the residents' support group, to write letters to MP Ashok Kumar asking him to take up the issue with the Government.

She was supported by Ron Johnston, whose mother-in-law is a resident at the home, and who had travelled from Toronto, Canada, to attend the meeting.

He said: "My concern is what would happen to her of the home closed.

"It would be a major upheaval and I think it would be very cruel for her and the rest of the residents."

Councillor Mike Findley, older people's champion on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: "You can criticise the council as much as you like, but it will do all it can to keep the home open.

"One thing it can't do is give funding to keep it open, that comes from central government."

He also urged resident's relatives to write letters to Dr Kumar.