RELATIVES of elderly people living in Blaenau Gwent council-run care homes fear their proposed closure could be traumatic for their loved ones.

A new Blaenau Gwent council report recommends four homes across the borough are shut. They say more elderly people want to live in their own homes.

The council, which spends £3.7 million on placing people in its homes, would have to find extra cash to bring the homes up to standard if they remain open.

The council runs five care homes with 142 residents. If the recommendations go ahead, around 100 residents from Cartref Aneurin Bevan in Tredegar, Crawshay House in Brynmawr, Cwrt Mytton in Abertillery, Hafod Dawel in Nantyglo and Plas Y Coed in Ebbw Vale may need to find new homes. Cwrt Mytton is the most modern of the homes and appears to be the most likely to survive.

Brynmawr man Ian Morgan, whose 94-year-old mother-in-law has been cared for at the council's Crawshay home for the past eight years, fears she would 'probably die' if she had to move.

He said: "It is her home now. She loves it there - they are like a family.

I am sure my mother-in-law would die if she had to leave there - she would lose the will to live. How can you put a price on someone's life?"

Mr Morgan, who was a member of the Blaenau Gwent constituency Labour party until being expelled for supporting rebel MP Peter Law in last year's General Election, added that the issue was 'very worrying' for the relatives of residents including his wife Megan.

Kenny Lewis, 59, from Ebbw Vale, says his mother, Lily May Ireson, 82, who suffers from dementia, is happy at the Plas Y Coed home in Ebbw Vale and says he would not want to move her.

Mr Lewis worries that any move might be traumatic.

He said: "My mum is cared for round the clock, she's safe and secure and that's all you can ask for, really.

"We need to know what's happening, for obvious reasons. We need to know what will happen to our relatives."

John Mason, an independent councillor for the Nantyglo ward, said: "I support the policy to improve services for elderly people and to enable them to live more independently, but the systems are not in place to support this. Our care homes are excellent and I am against their closure."