CONCERNED relatives have received backing from a national action group in their campaign to keep an under-threat residential home open.

Families and friends of residents at Stoneleigh Residential Home, Barnard Castle, will meet representatives from the Relatives Action Group for the Elderly (Rage) this weekend.

Relatives will be looking at how they can fight proposals by Durham County Council to close the home in September, to make way for new facilities for the elderly.

They have already formed an action group made up of relations of Stoneleigh residents, and are confident that Rage will be able to offer advice and support following similar campaigns around the country.

One possible way of blocking closure would be to pursue legal action, but members of Stoneleigh action group are waiting to speak to a Rage representative before commenting further.

In addition to support from Rage, Unison has also backed the cause and has offered to finance any legal action that the national action group is prepared to take.

George Hadden, who lives in Cheshire but grew up in Barnard Castle, is concerned that his 91-year-old father will be too frail to cope with the ordeal of moving.

He said: "My father has been there for 12 months and like many of the residents of Stoneleigh, any move out of the home, while the new one is built, could prove too much.

"Although its closure is looking pretty imminent and certain, I'm damned if I'm just going to stand back and let it happen without a fight, which I think is how a lot of residents feel."

Stoneleigh is one of 17 homes selected for closure by the county council after it said it could not afford the £60m needed for upgrading work.

The county council claims it cannot find another suitable site for a home in Barnard Castle, so will be forced to move residents to homes elsewhere in County Durham while Stoneleigh is demolished and a new development is built on the site.

The meeting will be held tomorrow at 10.30am, at Glaxo Sports and Social Club, in Barnard Castle.