Health inspectors have shut down a care home after serious concerns were raised about the safety and welfare of residents living there.

Manor House care home in Lydd was visited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which believed the level of risk was so high that it should be closed with immediate effect.

The home was taken over by Astral Care Ltd before Christmas after the previous company went into receivership, but was summoned to Folkestone Magistrates’ Court this week.

The court accepted the CQC application, leaving to 14 elderly residents having to be moved to new premises around the county and leaving 20 care staff out of work.

It is believed that the situation had become so bad that staff were buying supplies out of their own pocket, but the specific concerns of the CQC have not yet been revealed.

CQC deputy chief inspector for the south Deborah Ivanova said: “We applied to cancel the registration of this service because of serious concerns in relation to the safety, welfare, and care of its residents. That is not something that we take lightly.

“But this action and the magistrates’ decision should send a strong public message that we will not hesitate to use our powers to take tough action if we have concerns about the care and welfare of people who use services."

A spokesman for Astral Care, which is registered at an address in Surrey, said they were given less than two hours to get to court and prepare their case.

He said he couldn’t understand the CQC decision to close the home without giving staff the chance to turn things around, and intends to appeal against the court decision.

"The CQC has made sure that the staff go to hell and the residents go to hell. I’ve been left penniless and the business is ruined.” - Astral Care spokesman

He added: “We received no complaints from social services care managers, relatives or residents about the care we provided.

“When we bought the care home it wasn’t profitable, but we knew we would need to be patients to slowly built it back up.

“We have excellent local staff who are born and bred in Lydd and the care was very good. Now they have been made redundant and they were in tears.

“The CQC has made sure that the staff go to hell and the residents go to hell. I’ve been left penniless and the business is ruined.”

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