THE on-off move of 30 pensioners from a Spennymoor care home took a fresh twist yesterday after a deal was reached over a temporary transfer.

Staff and residents at Moor Grange were ready to move to a new home in Meadowfield when the deal fell through at the last minute and they were told they were staying put.

Last night, negotiations between Durham County Council, which owns Moor Grange, and the privately-owned Appletree nursing home reached a compromise.

In a meeting yesterday afternoon with staff, residents and relatives, the council announced that the move would still go ahead tomorrow as planned.

A spokesperson for Durham County Council said: "There has been some compromise on both sides, as a result of which, and subject to contract, the residents of Moor Grange will be moving out and into Appletree on Wednesday as planned.

"The county council deeply regrets any worry or distress which may have been caused to residents and their relatives by this uncertainty at such a late stage in the proposed relocation arrangements.''

Moor Grange is to be demolished to make way for one of the council's Extra Care units.

A relative of one of the residents said she was happy that everything had been settled, but added that it would have been better if contracts had been signed before the news was broken to everyone.