Around 100 people gathered in Keighley Town Hall Square at the weekend to demonstrate against plans to close the town's Ingrow Green care home for elderly people.

Relatives of residents hope 10,000 people will have signed a petition before the end of March.

The future of the building is in doubt because Bradford Council claims it needs £1.3 million spending on it.

Liam Hughes, Bradford Council's Social Services Director, said most of the work would be necessary to meet increasingly stringent rules governing care of the elderly.

And residents would have to be moved out for two years while the work took place.

Social Services chiefs are considering closing it and building more modern sheltered housing on the site.

They say each resident in the new building would have their own room, staff would be on hand 24 hours a day, and there would be community facilities such as a laundry and dining room.

But residents, some in their 90s, relatives and opposition politicians are concerned it is the only old people's care home in Keighley and some of the residents may have to move to Bradford.

Tony Brown, chairman of the Ingrow Green Support Group, attended the march.

He said: "We think it went well and we have had a lot of support. My mother-in-law has been very happy here. It's not fair that at the age of 90 she may have to move.

"We don't want it to close because it's a lovely home and the staff are excellent.

"The new facility would basically be sheltered housing. Residents would have to spend a lot of time on their own and at that age most of them want some company.

"My mother-in-law has been in sheltered housing before and it did not work."

Councillor Kris Hopkins (Cons) said there should be a full investigation into the closure proposals.

A final decision will not be made for at least two months.

It will be made by Bradford Council's ruling Executive Committee following wide-ranging consultations between residents, relatives, staff, health care professionals and other people.

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