SPECULATION over the future of a residential home in Teesdale has ended after it was announced it had been sold to a care home operator.

Since it was announced in September last year that the Whorlton Grange residential home, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, had gone into administrative receivership, rumours about its future have been as colourful as they have varied.

Although the administrative receiver, Ernst and Young, has remained silent about the home's future, rumours about it being converted into a leisure complex and hotel, as well as a drug rehabilitation centre, have been circulating since it went into receivership.

New owner Veronica Harper, who has 18 years' experience of running and owning residential care homes in Seaton Carew, Stokesley and Richmond, said she was relieved to be able to finally put the rumours to rest.

She said: "Contrary to popular belief, Whorlton Grange is not being converted to a drug rehabilitation unit, hotel, leisure complex, or pop star's retreat.

"A full refurbishment programme will begin this month and Whorlton Grange will be run by the new owners as a residential care home, with 27 beds, rather than the previous 37 beds."

The reduction in bed space is designed to give residents more space and almost all the rooms will have en-suite facilities.

The home will continue to be run by the existing manager Jan Swinburn, and interviews for extra staff will begin in the next few weeks.