CAMPAGNERS fighting the closure of a Kingswinford care home claim new evidence proves the plan's consultation is a sham.

During a meeting organised by Age UK for people to have their say on the future of New Bradley Hall, protestors were told the Stream Road home has already been removed from Dudley Council's list of sites providing residential care for elderly people.

The authority asked charity Age UK to run a consultation process after reversing a decision to shut the home but campaigners argue councillors remain committed to closure and the home's disappearance from the list proves their worst fears.

Local election UKIP candidate, Dean Perks, said: "I phoned social services to make an enquiry about putting a relative in New Bradley Hall but its name had been removed from the list.

"This consultation is diabolical and pathetic, it should be started again."

Black Country entertainer, Marlene Watson, added: "They struck the name off the list, that's the most important thing here. They get awards for being the best, why are we closing them?"

Also at the meeting, on March 19, former Dudley councillor Dave Tyler launched an attack on figures in the consultation document which say the average cost for each of New Bradley Hall's 30 residents is £531 per week, while an equivalent placement in the private sector would be £378 per week.

Mr Tyler said: "That's £7,344 per person, per year extra, I don't believe the figures. They have inflated costs at New Bradley Hall to make it look inefficient."

Brendan Clifford, assistant director at Dudley's adult and community housing directorate, defended the figures, claiming local authority costs were on average higher than the private sector.

He said: "The document is provided with the best intentions of sharing information in a transparent way."

Councillor Peter Miller was the only member of Dudley Council's ruling Conservative group at the meeting and faced a barrage of complaints from closure protestors but insisted private sector provision is the way forward.

Cllr Miller told the meeting: "I 100 per cent support it, we will have better conditions for old people in the future. I am proud to give people better conditions to live in.

"People will have better services than they are getting at the moment."

Dudley Council explained the absence of the home from the list by saying the authority had suspended taking new residents at New Bradley Hall while its future is being decided.