FURY mounted today after 32 care homes for the elderly were axed -- despite a massive public outcry against the closures.

In the biggest single protest for years, residents, their families and community leaders have fought tooth and nail to stop the proposals.

But yesterday the ruling Labour group pushed them through, delivering what was described as a massive snub to MPs, residents, families, workers -- and widespread public opinion.

Vice chairman of the Lancashire Action Committee Bob Trafford called for the resignation of county council leader and Rossendale councillor Hazel Harding and said: "This decision will result in death because these elderly people will not survive if they are moved at their stage in life."

After a heated three-hour debate at County Hall in Preston, Labour councillors backed their cabinet -- which has been under fire over the plans since February 1 -- and outvoted the opposition by 40 votes to 31.

Today campaigners were preparing legal action in a bid to reverse the decision, which affects 32 of the council's 48 homes, including 17 in East Lancashire.

Both the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats failed in bids to get the plans put on hold or scrapped at yesterday's meeting, but along with independent and Green Party councillors, voted against the plans.

Coun David Whipp, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "What we have here is a Labour group which put out one plan at the start basically pushing the same one through here at the end.

"They've wanted to close the homes from the start and they haven't listened to anyone, at all."

Coun Robert Hodge, leader of the Conservative group, said: "The way this has been handled has caused great distress for hundreds of residents, and that is something the Labour group should have thought about."

But Coun Chris Cheetham, the mastermind behind the scheme -- which will result in more people being cared for at home -- accused protesters of intentionally upsetting old folk in a bid to win public backing.

He said: "People tell us the homes we have at the moment aren't good enough. I agree, but then the same people tell me that they don't want homes to close to fund changes and improvements.

"We have listened and made promises to people and they are happier for those promises, but people in the future want a different service, the Government says we have to have a different service, and we are working towards that.

"I regret distress which may have been caused but I do not believe there was any other way of talking to people and getting their opinions.

"I do, however feel, and staff in the homes have told me this, that there has been some appalling behaviour by the so-called supporters of residents coming up with untruths which have not helped one bit.

"We will get this change right. It is not about saving money, it is about improving things for the future.

Now moves will begin to start closures and refurbish the homes which are being kept open. It is expected the closures will be phased in over five years, with the first closing at the start of next year.

The private care home body, the Lancashire Care Association, is taking the council to court in November claiming its actions -- and the reduction in the number of people it plans to place in private homes as part of the re-organisation -- are unlawful.

Care home residents are also preparing to fight the closures under the Human Rights Act and local borough councils are still considering legal action of their own.

Ultimately, only people with dementia in desperate need of 24-hour care will be looked after by the county council in their homes.

Domiciliary services will be dramatically expanded so that more people can be cared for in their own homes, something Coun Cheetham said people would come to appreciate in the future.

Half of the homes facing the chop could be used to provide other kinds of OAP care, run by charities or bodies such as housing associations, although nothing concrete has been announced.

County council leader Hazel Harding denied claims the consultation had been a sham, saying that the plans approved by the full council were much different to those originally proposed in February.

Key changes include:

Three homes originally marked for the axe, including Lower Ridge in Burnley and Cravenside in Barnoldswick, will remain open for the next four years at least.

An assurance that all people already in LCC care will be kept in the authority's care if that is what they want.

A promise they will be kept in their district and only moved twice during the restructuring.

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