AFTER it announced controversial plans to close 36 of its 48 homes for the elderly, Lancashire County Council was attacked from all sides.

Councillors may have been motivated by a genuine desire to improve elderly care services but the draconian way in which they brought in the decision was wrong, impractical and thoughtless.

Faced with widespread expressions of anger councillors pledged that money raised from the sale of homes would go towards super new day centres and providing care for the elderly in their own homes.

Now we are told that sale of the homes has so far raised £3million when they only expected to get £1million.

And a report has been approved allowing the care home cash to be spent on "priority projects" rather than limiting it to care for the elderly.

Finance chief Coun Tony Martin says that although care homes are currently the "top priority" he wants "to move the authority away from the idea that if your raise money from the sale of something within one department, it stays in that department."

That must not apply in this case.

The pledge was given and the council must not turn away from it. The elderly deserve that cash and the council must show that they have not made profits out of their obligation to care for them.