A CARE home owner dressed up as Oliver Twist yesterday, to beg a council for more money.

Psychiatric nurse David McArthur, who owns and manages Mulroy Nursing Home, in Normanby, near Middlesbrough, is demanding that Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council increases its funding for elderly patients with mental illnesses.

So, begging bowl in hand and dressed in rags, he picketed the authority's social services office in Kirkleatham Street, Redcar.

Since last month, the authority has had responsibility for about 135 "preserved rights" patients who have been in private care homes since 1993 and were previously paid for by the Government. It has chosen to cap their weekly payments.

"This whole exercise has been a complete farce," said Mr McArthur.

"A tremendous lack of confidence in the local authority is being experienced by the affected care homes. This is no way to treat vulnerable people and the small vulnerable homes.

"This is an unrelenting campaign to restore the rights of these patients. It won't be easy but we won't stop until we achieve our goals."

No one from the council met Mr McArthur, whose campaign is backed by care homes across the borough.

But Councillor Pat Harford, lead member for health, said later that the authority would meet care providers to discuss their concerns.

"Final Government guidance on the council's responsibilities to people on preserved rights has been issued, and we will be looking at this closely," she said.