A CAMPAIGN to save a residential home from closure is gathering support from hundreds of people across the district.

More than 500 people so far have signed a petition started by David Thomas and other families of patients with mental health illnesses who fear their relatives will be left without proper support if Harbourne Residential Care Home in Wibsey shuts in a move to save £300,000.

Their petition has now triggered others in the district, said campaigner Becky Naylor, who hopes the strength of feeling will have a positive impact on those who will make the decision to shut it or not..

Bradford Council is consulting about the future of the home which offers residential care for older people with dementia and has a day centre run by Bradford District Care Trust but some campaigners claim their time to respond to the consultation had been cut short.

Mr Thomas, of Oakenshaw, whose wife Marcia used the day centre at Harbourne, said day users were only told about the consultation in July which means they have not had the full three-month notice time to have their say.

The home, along with Neville Grange in Shipley and Holme View in Holme Wood, has been threatened with closure previously. In January 2013, the Council's executive confirmed those homes would not close until alternative plans were in place.

Since then, Neville Grange has been closed and demolished with an Extra Care facility earmarked for the site. Holme View is still open - though its future might also be subject to a public consultation.

Mrs Naylor said: "Since we started our campaign I have been contacted by three other people who are running petitions too and we have all agreed to join our aim is to get the whole of Bradford behind us and to keep Harbourne House open.

"The three month consultation should be three months not a matter of weeks as we all received our consultation letters on July 25 which stated to make appointments on July 28, the consultation we were told is to end on August 31."

Lyn Sowray, Bradford Council's assistant director integration and transition, said: "The consultation at Harbourne commenced on June 9, 2014 for a period of three months.

"Throughout this time every individual who receives a service from Harbourne together with their families have been offered a one-to-one meeting with officers from the department of adult and community service.

"Not everyone affected has taken up this offer which is still available. All contributions to the consultation will be reported back to elected members and will inform the recommendations to be put to executive of the Council in a report which goes to the executive on October 14."

She added: "The consultation will end on September 9, 2014. Any submissions received after this date will be included in the report up to the final cut off point. Assurances have been given to people who have said that they will submit after that date. The Council welcomes all contributions and views to inform the decision-making process.”