Villagers: Our 10-year misery over care home

Villagers have demanded action amid claims of a decade of rural unrest caused by a care home near Shropshire.

The community of Adforton, near Leintwardine, say the nearby Mill House Care Home, which shelters vulnerable children, should be shut down or moved.

A public meeting last night heard stories of pensioners cowering indoors, historic homes being raided and continuous police searches for missing children.

• John Challis flies home as children raid house

Representatives from West Mercia Police, local councillors and residents, including Only Fools and Horses star John Challis, met with care home operators, the Keys Group, in the village church.

Keys chiefs were told how local tensions finally snapped in February when Mr Challis's grade I-listed home at Wigmore Abbey was raided by two youngsters who had absconded from nearby Mill House.

Inspector Nick Semper from West Mercia Police said the break-in had been a 'signal crime' which prompted further investigations.

He said since 2005 there had been 72 missing persons inquiries from the home.

He added: "There have been nine reports of children absconding from the home in the first seven months of this year. Each of these costs the force £2,500."

Other figures show this year 73 per cent of all calls made to police by people in the Adforton parish were related to the care home.

Speaking on behalf of more than 20 residents Mr Challis said in the ten years since Mill House opened local people had grown ever more nervous.

"I think it's totally wrong for the care home to be in this place and I hope that we can resolve this," he said.

Wendy Chambers, chief operating officer from Keys, had flown in from the group's headquarters in Belfast.

She said: "We have been aware of the problems local people have had with this home. We took over Mill House in 2011. From our point of view we believe this to be a well-managed home.

"But we do understand the concerns of local communities living near a care home."

Keys chiefs said they would deliver a response at the beginning of September.