Doomed!

The full council voted 22-19 against taking the issue back to the executive committee.

It came after Conservative councillors failed to pass a vote of no confidence in Labour, which then backfired as angry Labour councillors, unsure of their position on the vote, decided to support the party's decision.

The move, in response to a social services report highlighting a lack of demand for places in the homes, comes after the council said it could not afford the £3 million repair bill needed to bring the homes up to the standards due to be set in a new Government bill.

In a tense meeting, newly sworn-in Labour leader Councillor George Bancroft accused the opposition of shedding crocodile tears over the homes closures.

He told the Conservatives in an energetic speech which left him shouting and flailing his arms that they would be doing exactly the same thing if they were in power.

It was clear from the start that the meeting would be highly charged. Conservative and Liberal councillors entered the chamber to cheers and applause with Labour following to the sound of hissing, jeering and chants of "Bancroft out."

Labour were accused of deceiving the public in their May manifesto which outlined the importance of senior citizen care but which failed to mention the proposed closures. And Conservative leader Councillor Peter Callow got a standing ovation from the public when he told Coun Bancroft he had deceived the people of Blackpool.

Carole Price, a night care assistant from Warren Manor, said: "It is crazy. Our home only has one bed free and they are closing the home down because they say there is no demand.

"We provide much more of a service than just beds. Not only do we house elderly and confused people, but we give respite care and day care too.

"People will die as a result of this. It is too much for some frail pensioners."

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden shared the concerns of residents and relatives and staff of the homes. He said: "Both Joan Humble and I have had meetings with George Bancroft and Sue Wright, the executive member for social services.

"Obviously this comes as a great shock to everybody and we are asking the council to look again at the situation and revisit the arguments for the closure.

"The figure being bandied around of £3 million needed to improve the homes to new government standards is in my view both misleading and inaccurate.

"First of all the Bill that they say requires these modification and improvements to the homes hasn't even been passed by Parliament yet and could well be amended.

"Secondly the details of the required improvements to these homes has not been laid out.

"Thirdly the minister behind this bill has made it quite clear that the homes would not be expected to react overnight.

"The idea that this £3 million would need to be spent overnight simply isn't true."

Pictured here are pensioners Alice Hill and Evelyn Brunt handing a petition to the Mayor, Councillor Granville Heap.