During the war, a young Mary Ashley from Thornton served her country as a nurse helping wounded soldiers back to health.

Her sweetheart John Smith lost most of his hearing on the Normandy beaches with German grenades going off all around them.

After the war they married and fostered teenagers for 20 years, opening up their home to provide love and security to the troubled youngsters.

"They spent a lifetime helping others," said her daughter Christine Shepherd. "Then, when they needed help themselves, where was it?"

Christine speaks bitterly with a shake of the head. For the past seven months this quiet woman has been at the forefront of the highly-charged battle to stop Bradford Council closing down old folk's homes.

She just can't believe that they wanted to move her mum and all her pals out of the home at this stage in their lives when they are so vulnerable.

And, the 56-year-old from Old Bronte Road, vowed she wouldn't let it happen.

She has been with campaigners across the city fighting for their elderly relatives, because, she said, if she didn't, then no-one would. "I feel so angry about it all. My mum was a feisty woman. Without a doubt if she was able she would have been fighting, too."

Her mum's move into Woodward Court devastated old soldier John who had tried to look after his wife at their home in Hayes Avenue.

Her memory had been slowly fading then her condition was made worse after a stroke.

Then one day she went to Morrisons and couldn't remember how to get out of the store and had to ask for help. She would ask the same question ten times over. In the end the brave man who survived the Normandy landings had to admit defeat and it left him a broken man.

"He is the type of man who never complains about anything and does what he has to. We never knew he was on the beaches until 50 years later watching the anniversary on the telly and he suddenly said: 'I was there'."

It turned out he had jumped from the landing craft, went under the waves with the weight of his backpack, and was dragged up onto the beaches by two pals. Seconds later the pals were both killed by German shells.

Mrs Shepherd said: "Every November 11 Dad buys three poppies. One for himself and one for each of them. He served his country and nearly died for his country. He shouldn't have had to go through all this worry now either."

John married Mary 58 years ago at sacred Heart Church in Thornton. They went on to have a family and to foster dozens of teenagers.

"They were brilliant and it was very hard," said Christine. "But they were there for each other. So when she started to become ill, my Dad said he would look after her. And for years he looked after her. My son is a doctor in a hospital and he said Dad was physically and mentally exhausted. In the end if she hadn't gone into the home I believe Dad would be dead.

"Now he is lonely and misses her so much. But what keeps him going is knowing that Woodward Court is the best place for her," said Christine.

"She is only five minutes down the road and he can visit regularly - either with me or on his own. There is no way mum and her friends should have to be moved around like baggage at her age."