Sussex Health Care: Police interview 23 in care home probe

Police have now interviewed 23 people as part of their investigation

Twenty three people have been interviewed under caution as part of a criminal investigation into nine care homes, police have said.

When the probe into the Sussex Health Care homes began in 2017, police were investigating alleged lack of care of 43 residents. Thirteen have since died.

Police said the probe now focused on the 13 who died and whether there was criminal liability over their deaths.

In the other 30 cases there was no evidence of any criminal offences.

"We continue to keep families involved updated," a spokesman said.

He said allegations included ill-treatment or wilful neglect by a care worker, failing to discharge general health and safety duty at work as an employee and manslaughter by gross negligence.

Police were consulting the Crown Prosecution Service but no decisions on prosecutions had been taken at this stage, he added.

A Sussex Health Care spokesman said: "We have cooperated fully and openly with the police as part of their investigations and continue to do so.

"We are extremely pleased that 30 safeguarding cases were closed some time ago with no criminal findings.

"Where these investigations are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further."