PROTESTORS fighting to save a care home which could be axed in less than a month took their battle to the Senedd yesterday.

Campaigners from Risca organised a coach to take them to Cardiff Bay so they could protest on the steps of the Assembly building in a bid to save the town's Ty Darran care home.

Almost 40 people, complete with banners, T-shirts and placards, made themselves heard with chants of "Save Ty Darran".

One of the protestors was Connie Watkins, 74, who is continuing to support the campaign following the death of her mother Irene Gough aged 100 who was a resident at the home.

She said: "It was important for me to carry on after mam passed away and this is driving me because we need this home in Risca very badly. The care my mam got was excellent and I want other people to be able to get the same."

As reported in the Argus last week, more than 8,000 people have signed petitions calling for Caerphilly council to keep the home open.

June Price, 79, whose brother John Lewis has been in Ty Darran for 15 years, said: "I think this shows without a doubt how much Ty Darran means to the people of Risca."

The council entered a three-month consultation on the home's future in January saying parts of Ty Darran, which is home to 13 people and has 28 employees, are not fit for purpose.

It said redevelopment of the 36-bed home would cost £500,000, with annual running costs of £444,000.

The consultation follows a shortage of residential and nursing care for people in 2005 when plans were made for an independent company to run council nursing homes after it block-bought beds.

Now, the council says there is an excess, with 85 empty beds for the elderly in the borough in August and 263 spare across Gwent.

A report on the future of the home will go to a scrutiny committee on May 11 before the cabinet meets to make the decision on May 18.