One of the two residential homes on the Scilly's is set to close

Protesters fear that the possible closure of Sage House would mean that elderly people might have to go to the mainland to retire.

The owner of the home told a crisis meeting it would close in September if more help was not available.

The situation is being blamed on a shortage of residents at the home and residents have called a crisis meeting.

You can't put them somewhere else you have to put them on the mainland - that would be hard as they've lived all there lives here and suddenly they have to be split up from their relatives. Sabina Shrowdolph

Some relatives say this could tear families apart.

Harry Duncan is taken by his family every day to visit his wife Marjory who suffered a stroke last year.

Harry's son Roy said: "It would be absolutely devastating if Marjory went to the mainland. My father wouldn't be able to visit her at all."

Sage House is a private business and at the moment the owners say there is not enough residents to keep it afloat.

Residents' meeting

Local Councillor Marian Bennett said: "These things are cyclical and I'm sure in two or three years these residential homes will be full to capacity and the problem of shortfall will have disappeared."

Sabina Shrowdolph, who owns Sage House, said: "I've been negotiating with the council for 18 months for a solution but sadly nothing happened but it's come to a crunch now to find a way forward to save Sage House as a residential home."

Some campaigners have accused the council of not doing enough soon enough, but this is denied by the chief executive.

Phillip Hygate says it is not true. He said: "There's already been a great deal of support in the sense of trying to negotiate with the government and with other providers from both the public and private sector."

The community group is having it's first meeting next week.