ANGRY care workers at Blackpool's council-run homes were facing the prospect of joining the dole queue as social services bosses prepared to issue redundancy notices on October 19.

A full council meeting the previous day rubber stamped the proposed closure of six homes by 24 votes to 19 which means social services will now go ahead and axe all jobs at the homes.

Hoyle House will reopen as specialist care centre for drug and alcohol dependency and Stratford House as a home for people with pre-senile dementia with Cherry Tree House and Ashfield House providing traditional care.

And although plans for a cooperative takeover of two of the homes are still in progress UNISON branch secretary Tony Garnsey said all staff would still receive their notice within the next few days. "Naturally we are disappointed and would have wanted the staff not to have faced redundancy this quickly. We were hoping for notice to be held back until November 17 - the deadline day for the cooperative plans - but obviously that was not the case.

"This decision puts extra pressure on the staff," he added.

Staff are expected to be given between five and ten weeks' notice depending on their length of service and they have been invited to apply for positions within the four remaining homes and given details of redeployment opportunities.

With all hopes now hinging on a cooperative takeover Tony Garnsey was this week continuing to work alongside Gareth Nash and Dave Hollings from the Cooperative Development Agency to finalise plans for a takeover of two of the homes due to be submitted in a month's time.