POPHAM Court care home, made up of Popham House and The Court in Courtland Road, Wellington, is set to close at the end of November with the loss of 98 full- and part-time staff.

Shocked staff and the 53 residents were told the news at an ’important’ meeting at The Court on Wednesday of last week.

The two homes are run by Somerset Care which rents them from cash-strapped Somerset County Council.

Somerset Care says the decision cannot be reversed. It has 26 other care homes in Somerset and residents at Popham House and The Court are being invited to transfer to any of these homes at the same fee rates.

For the full story and more reports see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.