The campaign to fight the proposed closure of the Dorothy Lucy Centre care home in Maidstone - and three other care homes across the county - is hotting up.

More than 50 people attended a public meeting at Sharland Hall at St Faith’s Church in Maidstone.

Among them were relatives of the service users from the Dorothy Lucy Centre and the other care centres proposed for closure by Kent County Council, as well as trades unionists from Unison, Unite, and Unite The Community and representatives of Momentum Maidstone.

The guest speakers, Dr Paul Hobday, from the National Health Action Party, and Jacqui Berry, from Unison, highlighted the enormous damage that austerity policies were doing to valuable public services.

They argued that the Conservative policy of austerity was a political choice, not an economic necessity, and said that the closure of the dementia respite care centres was a ploy to provide an excuse for further privatisation that would just place more pressure on the NHS through bed-blocking.

Sue Black from Boughton Monchlesea, whose mother uses the Dorothy Lucy Centre, gave an impassioned speech regarding the total lack of real alternative service provision being offered by KCC.

She said: “There is just nothing being offered. They expect the 75 users of the Dorothy Lucy Centre just to sit at home with no-one to look after them.

“My father didn’t fight in the Second World War for KCC to do this to his widow

It’s disgusting. It’s immoral. “

Dr Hobday said the meeting had been very emotional with more than one member of the audience in tears. He said: “People were saying when the homes closed they would have to give up their jobs to look after their relatives. This move is just so counter-productive.”

The meeting voted to form a joint Kent County Anti-Austerity Committee to fight the cuts.

One of the first moves will be a picket outside County Hall on Thursday, December 10, when County Cllr Brian Clark will present a petition to the council on behalf of the protestors.

Dan Wilkinson from Momentum said: “We hope as many people as possible will join us from 9.30am.”

The other homes at risk are in Faversham, Sandwich and Sheerness. KCC will make a final decision on the closures in January.