ELDERLY and frail residents were forced out of a care home in Clayton-le-Moors with just 36 hours notice.

The eight residents of St David's Home for the Elderly, in Grange Street, were told on Thursday evening they would have to be out by today.

Lancashire County Council's social services department spent yesterday assisting desperate family members trying to find accommodation for their loved ones after the business ran into difficulties.

Ruth Fryer, of Edge End, Great Harwood, was told about the closure by staff at the privately-owned home on Thursday and had just hours to find new accommodation for her 84-year-old mother, Hilda Hardman, who suffers from Alzheimer's and is unable to get out of bed and needs round-the-clock care.

Mrs Fryer, 55, who uses a wheelchair said: "It's absolutely disgusting and everyone is just reeling from what's happened. You wouldn't even treat an animal like that.

"What's next? People just being told to live on the streets? My mum was really happy in that home and it was lovely. The stress could do serious damage to her health.

"Social services have tried to help, but they have asked if they can put her somewhere temporarily while we find somewhere else. She's not a piece of furniture to be put into storage. They are dealing with real human emotion here."

The county council social services funds four of the residents and helps pay for Mrs Harding's care. A spokesman said: "We received information on Thursday that St David's would be closing on Saturday.

"The important issue is to safeguard the welfare of all the residents involved and social work staff spent Friday visiting them and speaking to their families to assist them in finding alternative placements and to carry out assessments into their future needs."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope praised the social services for their action in what he called "a crisis". He said: "It's appalling that people are being effectively made homeless at 36 hours notice. I have been assured that alternative places will be found and social services deserve a pat on the back for treating this as a crisis priority."

But Mrs Fryer says a new home will not relieve the stress and suffering caused to her mother by the move. She added: "This is about her human rights and no-one should be allowed to treat people like this. My mother is a real person, not a thing."

A spokesman for the National Care Standards Commission said: "We are very distressed by this. We should normally have three months notice of any closure. Fortunately the local authority has acted very promptly.

"We will be discussing the way this has been handled in due course."

A spokesman for the home's owner said she did not want to comment.