HUNDREDS of people marched against Lancashire County Council’s proposals to close eight elderly care facilities in Preston on Saturday.

Unison members working in the care homes organised and led the march against the proposals by the Reform-controlled authority.

General secretary-elect Andrea Egan told the rally: “We fight as one using the weapon we that we know works — solidarity.

“You’ve been paid pennies, disregarded and treated like an afterthought during the pandemic when the country needed you the most. You weren’t called essential workers for no reason. You kept people alive — but only that, you’re like family to most of these residents and you go above and beyond.”

The council insisted “no decisions have been made” after receiving more than 1,600 responses in a public consultation.

Progressive Lancashire group leader Councillor Azhar Ali said that Reform UK had been “shocked by the level of opposition” and “all we are asking is that they give a clear commitment: no closures, no privatisation and no job losses.”

A council review proposed closing five care homes and five day centres, two of which have not been open for some years.

In August, a report from the Care Quality Commission said that the area’s adult social care services “require improvement.”

Council leader Stephen Atkinson said: “We are still reading through all the responses we received during the consultation period and we really value the time and effort that people put into sharing their experiences in letters and emails.

“We want to make it clear that no decisions have been made about the future of any of these homes.”