HIGHFIELD House old people's home is due to close by the end of next month in order to making savings of £200,000 a year.

The Staffordshire county council-run home in Biddulph is one of two earmarked for the axe, both closures estimated to save £400,000.

Weekly costs for a resident at each of the homes run to £450, and Highfield House is earmarked for closure by the middle or end of October.

A council spokesman acknowledged there was no alternative council-run home across a wide stretch of the county, between Silverdale and Leek, and it was therefore difficult to offer a similar service to residents.

"There are however significant vacancies within independent sector residential accommodation in the Biddulph area,'' he said.

"These include appropriate nursing home placements, and there are alternative local authority services in Stoke and not-for-profit services just over the Cheshire border.''

Highfield House suffered from having mostly double bedrooms, he said, its corridors were narrow and for some residents they had no option but to use a small flight of stairs.

Staff are due to be offered alternative jobs, early retirement or redundancy.

County councillors are being asked this week to approve the closure of the two homes.

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