REPORTERS from the Lancashire Evening Telegraph spent many hours at meetings listening to county councillors and officers saying that the closure of care homes would not mean less care for the elderly and their representatives praised the 'care in the home' service.

Members of action groups were very grateful for your newspaper's support. At the meetings I attended I never heard any mention from county council representatives that care in the home services would be cut and I am pleased that you are pointing out these cuts to the general public.

Elderly, housebound people trust their care worker to do their shopping, handle their cash, to empty the shopping bags and put their products away for them.

With no disrespect for van drivers, elderly people are wary of handing out cash to strangers and I doubt if a van driver will unpack the bags for an elderly person.

By introducing a plan for old people to shop by computer (LET, April 11) the county council will still be providing a service, but there is absolutely nothing social or caring about the scheme.

JOAN SCHOLES, Baxenden.