MORECAMBE'S MP Geraldine Smith has spoken of her shame at the heartache and anxiety caused by the care home closure plans drawn up by Labour controlled county council.

The Labour MP spoke out against her own party after "heartrending" visits to two of the care homes targeted for closure.

She severely criticised the county's plans during a speech in the Commons describing them as " miserable and short sighted proposals."

She told the Citizen: " I am extremely angry about the acute distress and bewilderment that has already been afflicted upon the elderly residents of those homes by the cavalier and uncaring way that the proposals were announced.

I have to admit that I felt ashamed that the proposals that caused such heartache and anxiety to these people, who are the most vulnerable of my constituents, had emanated from a Labour controlled council.

We must clearly understand that what is being proposed is the mass relocation of frail elderly people and it our duty to ensure that it is their interests that are at the forefront of any decision that is taken."

During her Commons speech Geraldine also expressed fears that the closure plans could lead to serious bed blocking in the NHS.

Lancaster's MP Hilton Dawson has also had a change of heart.

After initially backing the county's plans, this week he described them as "fatally flawed" and called for the formation of a health and social services trust.

He said: " Their current consultation is completely flawed because proposals have not been jointly proposed with the health and private sector.

I think that Lancashire should withdraw current proposals for the restructuring of residential care and begin discussions with key partners.

"It they aren't prepared to re-think their proposals I wouldn't be at all surprised if an authority which is already under special measures found that its social service department is taken away from it by a Government which will not tolerate poor standards."