THE campaign against the closure of homes for the elderly took to the streets this week as a court battle over the issue loomed.

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP Geraldine Smith and Labour party colleagues collected signatures for a petition to save The Craggs, Beaumont View and Slyne House.

Ms Smith said: "I am appalled that the county council is even considering closing these homes.

"The county council say that they are consulting the public about their proposals and I certainly hope they will listen to the strong views being expressed.

"When this issue was debated in parliament there was support on all sides of the house to keep these homes open.

"I will of course be submitting my own views formally to the county council objecting to the plans to close the homes before the consultation period ends in June."

The petition is said to have hundreds of signatures already and Labour activists will again be collecting outside the Arndale Centre next Saturday.

Meanwhile, on Monday proceedings were issued in the High Court for a judicial review of the county council's decision to reduce placements in residential care homes and the setting of fees for residential care.

The basis for the challenge is the allegation that the decision to reduce placements in residential care homes for older people and set what critics described as uneconomic fee rates is irrational.

It includes a Human Rights challenge as the claimants consider that reducing placements and assessing fees at the level they have will force care homes to close.

Lancashire County Council now has 21 days to issue their grounds to resist the application for permission for a judicial review.

Frank Hessey, Chairman of Lancashire Care Association, said today: "As providers for older people, it is our belief that care at home is insufficient for the vast majority of very frail elderly people.

"It leaves many people feeling isolated, trapped and depressed.

Even at its best when someone 'pops in' four times a day, the older person is left lonely and isolated and many of them who are stroke affected fear falling.

"When care at home is at an adequate level, it is clearly more expensive and less reliable than residential care.

"The Lancashire Care Association are very concerned that the policy of reducing placements will put older people at risk.

"It also undermines the financial viability of all homes.

Coupled with fee rates at an uneconomic level, many homes will close.

"Older people in the care of association members have been and will be forced to move on closure of homes.

They consider the homes in which they live to be just that - their homes."