THREE MPs have called for a top level meeting over the growing crisis surrounding East Lancashire residential homes after another announced it was closing its doors today.

Eight homes have shut in the last 12 months and at least three others are in receivership.

Witton Bank Residential Home, Spring Lane, Mill Hill, Blackburn, which is registered to care for up to 24 elderly people, has given a month's notice to residents. Social workers are currently helping them find new homes.

And Willow Lodge Nursing Home, Blackburn Road, Rishton, has cancelled its registration as a nursing home and will now only take residents who do not have complex needs. This means four elderly women who need more care, one of whom is 97 years old, have to find a new home.

Sue Reid, executive member for Blackburn with Darwen's Social Services, said it was likely more closures were on the way as more elderly people chose to stay in their own homes with visiting carers.

She said: "There is an over-provision of care homes in Lancashire. It's right that people should be helped to stay in their own homes but it makes problems for businesses."

She said she had campaigned for a long time for laws to make closures more bearable for pensioners by forcing owners to give at least a month's notice, instead of closing with less than 24 hours warning as happened twice in the last year in Blackburn.

Ms Reid stressed the Witton Bank owner had given a month's notice and said: "This is not a case of old people being dumped out of their home, but of being moved with the support of their relatives and trained staff to suitable accommodation."

Doreen Pollitt, chairman of Lancashire County Council's Social Services Committee, said nationwide nurse shortages and NHS nurses' salary hikes had also made it more difficult for nursing homes to attract qualified staff. Burnley MP Peter Pike said he had already sought a meeting with care home owners to discuss their problems.

He said: "I shall convey the results of the meeting to health ministers."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope and Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans both said they wanted to meet with local authority bosses and care home owners to try and find a solution.

Mr Evans said: "It's clear that the local authority needs to do more to ensure that people who wish to remain in a residential home can do so."

Mr Pope said: "I'm extremely concerned that these homes are closing. I shall be consulting with my Blackburn and Darwen colleagues Jack Straw and Janet Anderson to look at this on a county-wide basis.

"I shall raise any concerns that emerge with ministers. It's vital that we don't compromise on the best standards for our old people. They deserve nothing less."

St Emmanuel's Home for the Elderly Confused, Blackburn, was the first to close last year in January with less than 24 hours notice, followed by Paragon private nursing home, Edgworth, in May and the Cromwells nursing home, Thornton-in-Craven, in July.

Brooklands residential home shut in November. Southlands Nursing Home closed in December with only a day's notice amid allegations of unpaid wages.

The Fountains Nursing Home, in Pleasington Close, Blackburn, Hulton Care Nursing Home, Halifax Road, Nelson, and Roselands, Hurst Lane, Rawtenstall, are all part of the Westwood Care homes group which went into receivership in February. They are still on the market.

Lancashire County Council area includes 773 residential homes while Blackburn with Darwen has 46 residential homes.