OUTRAGED relatives last night vowed to fight council plans to demolish a care home.

They formed an action group to oppose proposals by Durham County Council to close Barnard Castle's Stoneleigh care home, at a public meeting held in the town's Charles Dickens pub.

The council wants to close the home to make way for a modern care unit, designed to give elderly residents more independence.

Relatives argue that this would be inappropriate for many of Stoneleigh's residents.

The authority has so far failed to find an alternative site on which to build the new unit, so residents now face the ordeal of being moved while Stoneleigh is demolished to make way for their new homes on the same site.

Speaking at last night's meeting, Robin Dant, whose 90-year-old mother is a resident at Stoneleigh, said forming an action group would put extra pressure on the county council to keep the home open.

He said: "Judging by tonight's turnout I believe there is overwhelming support to form an action group to fight these proposals."

Stoneleigh is one of 17 care homes which Durham County Council plans to close as part of the Government's Investing in Services for Older People scheme.

The county council had initially planned to find a new site for the care home, but although seven possible sites in Barnard Castle were looked at, none were deemed suitable for the purpose.

Councillor John Watson, Teesdale district ward councillor for Barnard Castle East, said that the district council would support any plans by relatives of the home's occupants to form an action group against the scheme.

He said: "These proposals are outrageous. The new care unit which the county council plans to build will not be suitable for the vast majority of Stoneleigh's residents.

"Many of the residents need around-the-clock care and the council's plans will not cater for many of them."

None of the Durham County Council representatives invited to last night's meeting were among the 40 or so people who attended.