RESIDENTS broke down in tears after they were told their care homes were among those earmarked for closure.

Marian Storey , 75, is one of 26 elderly residents at Hill Top, in Accrington. The residential home will be axed along with 31 others across Lancashire in the next two-and-a-half years, Lancashire County Council announced yesterday.

She said: "It's terrible what they're doing. I've been here three years and it's a smashing place."

Hill Top, in Manchester Road, will close to residents and is expected, instead, to be used for day care or respite.

Marian's daughter, Lynne Atkinson, of Whitaker Street, Accrington, a member of the Hyndburn Action Committee which was set up to challenge the threatened closures, said: "It's sickening -- but we'll carry on fighting.

"In fact, if we've been a thorn in the county council's side before, we'll be a spear now.

"They've spent months and months pretending to be making a decision but they knew all along what they were going to do. The consultation exercise was a farce. They just sent their people round on a fools' errand.

"I've spent every waking minute of every day for six months worrying about this. I'm very, very angry.

"The manager and staff at Hill Top have behaved impeccably through all this -- with great integrity. They genuinely care. They are all irreplaceable.

"I don't know how the people responsible can sleep at night."

County Councillor Chris Cheetham, the man who drafted the plans, insisted the authority had listened to the thousands of objections.

"But the Government still wants more people to be cared for in their own homes in the future and the money for such domiciliary care has to come from somewhere," he added.