FURY erupted after social services chiefs gave the go ahead yesterday for the controversial closure of two old people's homes. Staff and relatives of people who live in Stocks Park at Horwich and Lever Edge House, Great Lever, packed the public gallery in the Bolton Council chamber when the decision was made. Placard-waving protesters had greeted councillors as they arrived at the town hall and petitions containing a total of more than 5,000 signatures were handed in.

Afterwards, the protesters condemned the decision.

Mrs Audrey Grimshaw, a care assistant at Lever Edge, branded the decision "a disgrace."

And Mr Hughie Gudgeon, who works at Stocks Park ,added: "We have been sold down the river."

The aim of the closures is to save around £1 million in the social services budget. Only three councillors voted against the closures, Horwich Labour Cllr Mrs Betty McCracken and Liberal Democrats Horwich Cllr Bob Ronson and Westhoughton Cllr David Wilkinson.

But Labour Cllr Guy Harkin, deputy council leader, hit back: "Nobody becomes a councillor to close down homes.

"But we have no choice. We are a capped authority. If we could fight an election by asking people if they were prepared to pay extra council tax to keep these homes open, we would do so.

"But we are not allowed to do this. This social services department is already spending more than the Government wants us to, we cannot spend any more". Mr Mike Cooney, assistant director of social services, assured relatives that places would be found in either council or private homes for all the residents.

He said there would be strict checks to make sure the same quality of care was offered.

The decision is expected to be rubber-stamped by the full council on September18. Political rivals clash over decision LABOUR'S prospective Bolton West candidate Ruth Kelly today pledged to step up the pressure for adequate alternative provision for those affected.

She said: "It is a sad indictment of our society when Government cuts start to affect the elderly."

Horwich Liberal Democrat Cllr and Bolton West candidate Barbara Ronson, who was in the public gallery when the decision was made, said: "I have never heard such hypocrisy.

"They are saying that they are having to make these cuts because the Government will not give them enough money, but I would have thought Labour councillors would have expected a change of Government soon. Yet they make a decision which will mean these homes will be lost forever."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.