CAMPAIGNERS have lashed out at leading Labour councillors looking to get a Kingswinford care home off their books – saying they should be ashamed of their “hypocritical” actions after making pre-election pledges to save it.

Mac Scott and Phil Vanes, who formed the New Bradley Hall Action Group to urge Dudley Council to keep the threatened home open, have reignited their fight to save New Bradley Hall after discovering council bosses want to put it in the hands of a not-for-profit organisation or charity to get it off their books.

The council says its plan will safeguard the 31-bed Compton Drive home, which only last year celebrated a stay of execution, and a number of tenders from groups interested in taking it over have now been received.

But Mr Scott and Mr Vanes say Dudley's Labour leaders, who took control of the council in May 2012, have reneged on their election pledges.

Mr Vanes said: "We think council leader David Sparks is the Nick Clegg of the Black Country - he gave us grandiose promises before the election and a lot of the councillors got elected through their support of New Bradley Hall."

Mr Scott added: “I completely despair. I've lost faith in councillors and officers."

Campaigner Gareth Loveridge branded controlling Labour councillors "completely hypocritical" and said: "They should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves especially after they helped battle to stop New Bradley Hall from being closed prior to the last local elections. They now appear to be going against everything they said."

He said Wordsley Labour councillor Derrick Hemingsley, who was elected off the back of the care home campaign, continues to state on his website that he favours council-run care for the borough's most vulnerable residents over "farming them out to the private sector".

Mr Loveridge said: "I'm convinced many people voted for Mr Hemingsley at last year's local election due to his views on New Bradley Hall."

But this week Cllr Heminsgley revised his stance, saying: "My own personal view is that care homes should come under local authority control. However the most important factor is the quality of care and if that can only be provided by a third party or the private sector then that is the option that needs to be adopted."

Campaigner Karen Poyner added: "It is the same old story with politicians - they say one thing to get them elected and then do something completely different when in office."

Dudley Council says its plan "aims to end a long period of uncertainty for residents and staff and, in line with public wishes, will keep New Bradley Hall open".

Council chiefs say they have received interest from 13 organisations keen to run the home - with councillor Dave Branwood, Dudley's cabinet member for adult and community services, adding: "We are confident we will identify an organisation capable of delivering a positive future for residents and staff at New Bradley Hall."

Councillor David Sparks, Dudley Council leader, added: "I promised, if elected, we would keep the home open; we never ever stated this could be done under local authority control.

"I respect the opinion of any member of my group that has stated a preference for the home to stay in local authority control - that was their individual policy not the policy of the party."

The action group will hold a public meeting at Kingswinford Methodist Church, Stream Road, Kingswinford, on Tuesday December 17 at 7pm.