FAMILIES with relatives living in a closure-threatened care home have vowed to fight a legal battle to keep it open.

They set up an action group after finding out that the future Bradford Council-run Holme View care home, a specialist dementia unit, was under review.

So far more than 2,500 people have signed a petition to save the home in Holme Wood, including one of the campaigners Sue O’Shea, of Otley, whose cousin Diane Moult, 56, and aunt Doreen Huller, 90, are among its 22 permanent residents.

Another ten people, aged between 56 and 97, stay regularly at the home on respite.

The action group has now held a meeting with Council chiefs, including Bev Maybury, the strategic director for health and wellbeing, and Dean Roberts, manager for residential and day care.

Mrs O'Shea said: “We left the meeting with assurances that some of our suggestions to prevent the closure would be considered, but absolutely no guarantee that the care home, which is rated good by the Care Quality Commission, would remain open.

“Closure of Holme View would be insane, so we are determined to fight this all the way, including legally, if we have to.”

The consultation period over the future of Holme View ends on April 19 and Mrs O’Shea said the Council chiefs had promised to come back to them before then with answers to their suggestions for ways to keep the home open.

She said: “It cannot be stressed enough how vulnerable the residents of Holme View are are and because of their dementia they are unable to voice how they feel about the possible closure of their home, but specialist dementia trained staff at the home and relatives see how stressed and unsettled some of the residents have become at the impending closure.”

Councillor Val Slater, the Council’s executive member for health and wellbeing, confirmed the action group's views were being considered.

“The strategic director and I met a group of the family representatives and we reassured them that all options that have been put forward are being considered and no decision will be made until after the consultation period has ended,” she said.

The next action group meeting takes place at Holme View care home on Sunday, April 9, from 2pm.