Council mulls future of care home

A protest was held outside the home on Saturday

Council officials are considering whether a care home which closed three weeks ago due to a problem with the water will remain shut.

Blackburn Lodge, on the Isle of Sheppey, had an "emergency closure" due to health and safety concerns.

Residents were relocated at short notice, with one moving to Tenterden, 37 miles away.

Kent County Council (KCC) said it "had no choice but to close the care home" after a report found high levels of iron in the water.

High levels of iron in the water forced the care home to close

Speaking on BBC Radio Kent's 'The Wake Up Call', KCC's cabinet member for adult social care and public health, Dan Watkins, said: "I haven't said it will reopen. The only decision made thus far is the emergency closure."

He added: "The officers are working on a plan for the future for the lodge, whether we can reopen it or not."

Mr Watkins also said the council would need to see "the costs and practically of upgrading the facility" before a final decision is made.

'Very confused'

A petition set up to save the care home has just over 1,000 signatures.

David Sawyer's mother-in-law Reeta, who is 92 and has dementia, was relocated from Blackburn Lodge when it closed.

Mr Sawyer said she was "very confused" and "isn't eating" following her move out of the home.