Staff at a condemned care home say they have been kept in the dark after its sudden closure - reading on a Google search that it had "permanently closed".

Residents had to vacate Alma Residential Home with just 24 hours notice after fire chiefs ruled safety failings meant lives were at risk.

And employees at the Sheerness residence say they were as shocked as anyone.

Carer Chantelle Wood, 31, who has worked there just over a year, said: “All of a sudden we got a call on Friday, January 11 saying we need an emergency meeting.

“A friend rang me up crying saying the residents are being shipped out now.

“The families were disgusted because they had only got a call that morning.

“At the meeting, we were saying 'Are we unemployed?'

“It said on Google – 'permanently closed'. We had not been told that.”

Abbey Bersey, 23, who was taken on as a carer in October last year, added: “It was heart-breaking. Everyone was crying.”

Ever since, staff have been left in limbo as questions about their jobs and wages remain unanswered.

They say they were promised three weeks’ money and reimbursement for their holiday entitlement.

"There are staff who are single mums who say they won't be able to pay the rent" - Chantelle Wood

But Chantelle, who has four children and a fifth on the way, said their wages were all short.

“I need to know I have an income,” she added.

“There are staff who are single mums who say they won’t be able to pay the rent.”

They have since been sent a "lay-off notification" letter saying they have been temporarily laid off "until further notice".

It adds: “The company is still hopeful at this stage that we will be able to complete the Kent Fire and Rescue remedial list and comply with KCC contract, our efforts in this regard will continue so that, hopefully, the company will be in a position to offer you a return to full employment in due course.”

The home had already experienced problems, with a high turnover of staff and numerous changes in managers.

It was not unusual for just two people to be working and expected to care for all the clients.

A block had been put on new residents being accepted and numbers had dropped from 24 in 2018 to just 16 when it was shut.

A home spokesman denied wages had been short and thanked staff for their understanding.