A High Court injunction is being sought today to stop elderly residents being moved from an East Sussex care home.

Councillors yesterday agreed to close the New Moreton Centre in St Leonards for long-stay residents by next March.

The decision has angered relatives, who fear the upheaval of moving the eight long-stay residents could kill them.

One relative, Norma Dudley, whose 86-year-old mother Clara has been a resident at New Moreton for seven years, has now taken legal action.

An application for an injunction to prevent the council moving all residents is being made in the High Court.

The East Sussex County Council brought forward the consultation and review period by two months, which Mrs Dudley claims left little time to make proper representations.

She said: "I feel devastated and extremely frightened for the future of my mother, who hasn't a clue what's going on."

The home, in Boscobel Road, is to be developed into a 30-place rehabilitation centre to ease hospital bed-blocking after a successful £1 million bid for government cash.

Keith Glazier, lead Cabinet member for social services and health, said the eight residents will be relocated to homes in the private sector.

He added: "This was a difficult decision which has not been taken lightly.

"The county council is very sensitive to the concerns of residents and their families.

"It is not economically viable to keep this home open for the use it has now.

"We now have a real opportunity with the £1 million grant to use the building to help more elderly people return to their own homes after a stay in hospital."