AFTER reading about the proposed closure of 19 old people's homes in East Lancashire, I am compelled to tell you about one particular old person's experience of living in the community.

Frank William Penny lived on Willows Lane, Accrington. While driving home one afternoon, we found him lying in the bushes by the side of the road. Not being far from his flat, we took him home and became his friends.

It was immediately obvious that he was incapable of looking after himself and at the time he only had a carer coming to see him for two hours twice a week -- to do some tidying and to shop for him.

Here is a distressing catalogue of facts about Frank:

The stench in his house was almost unbearable. He was almost blind and he constantly lost his glasses. He was desperate for company -- living in solitary confinement. He lived in an upstairs flat, but was unsteady on his feet. He tried to cook chips, but almost set the chip pan on fire. During the time we knew him he actually set fire to the microwave.

He frequently went to the toilet in his own clothes. He had hardly any clothes so people bought them or gave them to him. His hands were stiff and he could not hold a knife and fork firmly or do up his clothes properly.

He was an orphan, who never married and had no children or family to care for him.

He constantly rang the emergency services -- if lonely, or if he had no tea, or when confused because he couldn't remember the last time he had had a meal, and because that was the only number he could do on his key pad.

The ambulance services several times admitted him to hospital just so he could get cleaned up and fed.

He was on a cocktail of medicines -- none of which he could distinguish from another or take properly and there wasn't anybody daily to officially supervise these.

He lost his keys and youths would often come in his flat and frighten him because he could not lock his door. He could lose his temper and become abusive.

For whatever reason, social services said he was fit to stay at home -- despite a coroner's report revealing there was damage to his brain.

He had turned to drink, and people were happy to take his money and leave him to fall in the bushes.

He died of a major heart attack at the age of 69 in his living room. He was found by his home help in a pool of blood. He was buried in a pauper's grave with half a dozen people who could be bothered to come.

How many more hundreds of old people, happy and of sound mind now, might become like Frank if left on their own in loneliness, boredom, fear and ignorance?

After contacting the council, Frank eventually got meals on wheels and later a carer to quickly cook him meals each day -- previously he had lived on bread and jam, bread and cheese, beer and biscuits.

Staff from a private care agency went beyond the call of duty, despite the limited service requested of them by the social services. How much more efficient would it have been in time and money for caring if Frank had been in a home?

How much happier would he have been with company, cleanliness, warmth, safety and security?

I object to the closure of council homes -- whether the residents are placed in private care homes or their own housing.

TRACEY HOLDING (Miss), Heron Way, Oswaldtwistle.