Campaigners want to stop the council closing the care home

Clare Dudley, who lives at the Moreton Centre in St Leonards, handed over a 4,000-signature petition at 10 Downing Street on Monday morning.

The plea was a final attempt by the centre's five remaining residents, along with care home workers, to overturn a decision by East Sussex County Council to redevelop the home into a short-term rehabilitation centre.

The �1m facility would be used to accommodate patients from hospital who have undergone treatment but are not yet well enough to go home, so called 'bed-blockers'.

We are really hoping that if Tony Blair sees it he will start listening to old people Norma Dudley, care worker

Campaigners lost their legal challenge against the closure in the Royal Courts of Justice and were also refused permission to appeal.

They set up the petition because they felt taking the appeal to the European Courts would be too slow a process.

Delivered by a group including Mrs Dudley and her daughter Norma, a care home worker, the document has been signed by more than 4,000 St Leonards and Hastings residents.

Norma Dudley said: "We are really hoping that if Tony Blair sees it he will start listening to old people."

Under review

East Sussex County Council, which has already shut two care homes, has a further 14 facilities under review.

Councillor Keith Glazier, of East Sussex Sussex County Council, said it was not suitable to have a care home with five or fewer residents.

"Clearly we have made the decision now and will work very hard to move the people in groups if they need to do so to alternative accommodation locally," he said.

"They've taken it to judicial review and the judges concurred that we handled things very sensitively and properly.

"They've taken it to an appeal judge who said any further challenge would be ill-judged."