ONE of life's hardest decisions is facing the fact that you may no longer be able to manage living in your home.

Finding a place to live out the rest of your days is also a difficult choice - a choice that Ethel Bright, 94, and Fred Bolam, 89, made several years ago.

Both thought they had found the perfect place in Newton House, in Stanhope, a residential home run by Durham County Council.

Mrs Bright has been one of the 30 or so residents for 11 years, while Mr Bolam has been there seven. Neither believed they would ever have to move again.

According to Mrs Bright's daughter, Angela Bolam, who is also Mr Bolam's daughter-in-law, they enjoy living in the home, which has its own grounds with fantastic views of the river.

But soon their world could be thrown into disarray after the council said it was examining the possibility of closing its residential homes.

Mrs Bolam, a member of Stanhope Parish Council for 22 years, said: "I really do not know what to say to my mother. She will be totally devastated once she realises the situation. So will my father-in-law.

"They are totally happy there.

"The county council are excellent carers. I cannot find one fault in the place.

"I really do hope that they think very carefully about this and decide to keep it open."

Her husband, also called Fred, said: "My mother, who has died, was also in there, and both of them have been extremely happy.

"If the home was to close, my father and mother-in-law, along with the other residents, would be absolutely devastated. It is a most wonderful place and a home for the residents.

"My mother says it is not home, but it is the next best thing. I do not think she could handle it if anything happened to the home.

"Newton House is always full, there is a waiting list and the residents like the care they get.

"It is not that long ago that the county council spent £1.2m on improvements to it."

Staff in the homes are also worried, although the council said compulsory redundancies would be a last resort and that many staff could be needed to provide the expanded home-based care that will be needed.

Councillor Jo Fergus, one of two Tories on the county council, said, "I have a feeling there will be a lot of opposition to this. People will be extremely unhappy about it.

"What do we pay our council tax for? This is a service that we as a council ought to be providing."