Pelham House: Memorial held at Folkestone care home

Five of the residents who died at Pelham House care home: Shirley Parsons (top left), Janet Hills (bottom left), Francis Chapman (centre), Valerie Dickson (top right), Margaret Hunter (bottom right)

A memorial service has been held for the families of 10 people who died from Coronavirus at a care home.

Pelham House in Folkestone, Kent, lost nearly half of its residents within days, in what the owner previously described as a "living nightmare".

Ten roses were planted in the home's garden of remembrance, to mark each of the residents who died.

After the service the home owner, Roger Waluube, said it had been an "extremely challenging" time.

The roses were planted at the care home's garden of remembrance

He said: "It's very important for us to remember these people, because we lost them all in such a sudden and shocking way and just never had the time to fully appreciate them or pay our respects and say goodbye.

"Witnessing people people we care for, who we get to know, people we really call our friends going in such a way was very traumatic.

"The staff have had to go through a lot themselves as well, and also us as an organisation were very close to not being here."

The names of the 10 people who died were read out, and tributes paid to them

All the names of those who died were read out, including Dina Hunter, who was 98 years old and had "an amazing laugh".

Speaking the service Ms Hunter's niece, Cherili Krawczyk, said: "We lost Dina here but she had one of the nicest 10 months that she had in a long time, so I try always to think about that."

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