RESIDENTS and staff face an early move from two old people homes which are shutting six months ahead of schedule.

Durham County Council has brought forward the closure of the homes, Moor Grange, in Spennymoor, and Stoneleigh, in Barnard Castle, to October this year, so that a new home can be built on the sites.

The council plans to close 16 of its 25 care homes for the elderly, to make way for seven new care units which will allow residents to have more independence.

One unit is already open, at Southfield Lodge, in Crook.

Moor Grange, which has 41 beds, and Stoneleigh, which has 43, will be bulldozed because the land they are on is the only viable site in their area for the new homes.

The public services union, Unison, which represents many care home staff, has campaigned against the shake-up, which means 290 job losses across the county.

Regional officer Howard Pink said: "It is a matter of major concern if they are closing homes and losing jobs more quickly than set out originally.

"Unison members are going to get extremely angry and upset if they find out they have been misled by a timetable that at least gave them plenty of time to prepare."

A county council spokesman said that the extra care units had to be set up as soon as possible to take advantage of Government benefits which were being made available.

He said: "We do not view this as being a negative move at all. There is ample time to discuss alternatives with residents and relocate the staff within County Durham Care, social services or elsewhere.

"In the case of Moor Grange, we are looking at a window of opportunity that would enable us to move residents and some staff even sooner in one block.

"There are clear and proven benefits in doing that because it would mean they would have familiar faces around them."