VILLAGERS who could lose their council-run old people's home will have the chance to air their views at a converence this morning.

Lynwood House, at Lanchester, is one of three residential care homes that Durham County Council is looking to close as part of its modernisation of services for pensioners.

Lynwood, along with Hackworth House, at Shildon, and East Green, West Auckland, was not reprieved when Labour councillors defied their leaders on Thursday and voted in a group meeting not to start consulting on the closure of a further nine homes.

The three were earmarked in phase one of a closure programme, begun in 2001, which saw extra care homes built by housing associations.

The other homes were in the second phase.

The conference, organised by Lanchester Parish Council, will be held in the village's community centre, from 10am, and the morning session will be chaired by North-West Durham Labour MP Hilary Armstrong.

Council, health and housing association officials will be among the speakers at the event, which will look at future provision for the elderly in the village.

Parish clerk Jim Owens said: "We are trying to find out what are the concerns of the people in the village. We commissioned a parish plan a short time ago, and one of the concerns was provision of elderly care. The parish council is trying to encourage positive thinking on this issue.''

The village's county councillor, Tom Forster, said: "We'll be fighting to keep Lynwood House and doing the best we can for residents and staff.''

He said that while the home did not meet new national standards,"we don't want to lose a facility like that for our residents. It is a great attribute for village.''

Villager Kevin Leary, whose 90-year-old mother, Jean, is in the home, said: "My mother is very comfortable there. There is opposition in the village to the closure. We also have to think of the staff who could be out of work.''