Friends of a wheelchair-bound man who died six weeks after leaving his long-term rest home claim the stress of being forced to move killed him.

Brian Knight, in his 70s, died in Worthing Hospital of what is believed to be a heart attack.

He moved into sheltered housing from St Giles rest home in Elm Grove, Lancing, where he had lived for more than 30 years.

West Sussex County Council announced it was closing the home in March and began to move residents into other accommodation.

Mr Knight's friends, Les Scrivener, 66, and Jayne Clements, 44, of Carnegie Close, Worthing, had known Mr Knight since the mid 1970s.

They believe the move caused Mr Knight so much stress it brought on his ill-health.

Mr Scrivener, a retired butcher, held discos at St Giles from 1976 and became a lifelong friend of Mr Knight, who was confined to a wheelchair.

He said: "I believe it was the stress that killed him. When they decided to close down the home, they didn't seem to consider the thoughts of the people in the home and seemed to disregard them. They should have allowed them to stay."

Mr Scrivener said the older residents should have been allowed to remain at St Giles until they died.

He said Mr Knight appeared confused when he was moved to new accommodation. He added: "Both me and Jayne and many other people believe that they should not have closed it as quickly as they did. Three or four times before he moved he came to us and he didn't know where he was going. When he moved he came to see us a couple of times but he wasn't himself."

Anita Stepnitz, from Portsmouth, told The Argus earlier this month that the closure of St Giles would leave her brother vulnerable.

She said: "Over the past ten months, I have watched him enter a spiral of decline as he has become distressed at the dispersal of not just residents but long-term staff from St Giles who he views as extended family.

"Not only does my brother not know where everyone has gone to, no one has guaranteed any form of future contact for him. Some of these friendships span decades as my brother has lived in St Giles for 30 years."

The council decided to close the home rather than pay for costly improvements.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex County Council, said: "Everyone has been shocked and saddened to hear Brian has passed away.

"Brian was very positive about the move and was looking forward to calling somewhere home.

"He was offered lots of support during and after the move."

Thirteen residents have left the home and eight are still waiting to be re-homed.