THE stress of fighting the closure of Whiteacres old folk's home in Burnley contributed to the death of a war veteran who led the campaign, it has been claimed.

And the grieving family of Eric Calvert, 89, who led the fight to save the Burnley home, on Lansdowne Close, did not get a fair deal from his county council landlords when he died, Liberal Democrat leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle told Burnley Council.

Mr Calvert died from pneumonia in late December but his family received bills for his rent at the home during the two weeks after his death, Coun Birtwistle revealed.

He said: "The first week he was in the chapel of rest and the second he was buried - yet his 85-year-old sister still received a bill for his rent."

Coun Birtwistle said: "I think this was a disgrace and I hope the county council will greatly improve its management arrangements in future."

Coun Birtwistle said he believed the stress of leading the unsuccessful fight against the cost-cutting closure was a contributory factor in the widower's death and he attacked the hypocrisy of some Labour councillors who had voted for closure of the all-male centre then later picketed in favour of keeping it open.

Mayor Eric Selby, a personal friend of Mr Calvert, said Eric was a fighter and the struggle to keep the home open must have upset him. Labour leader Stuart Caddy said his party had never voted for a shut down and had worked hard to win the best deal from a very difficult situation.

He was accused of "weasel words" by Independent leader Harry Brooks who said Labour had failed to support his motion condemning the county's closure plan.

After the death of the second world war veteran, who led the anti-closure campaign, his sister Rose Halsted wrote to prime minister Tony Blair to complain about the treatment of the elderly.

She said: "I will never forgive the Government because it was the Government which told them to close the home.

"If Eric had not had all the stress he could have lived a bit longer," she added.

Councillors heard that most of the 16 residents at Whiteacres had now agreed to go to new homes and negotiations were still ongoing to place the remaining residents.

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