A FAILING care home will be shut down.

Queens Park Court, in Goldington Crescent, Billericay, has had its contract terminated by Essex County Council.

Residents will now be moved elsewhere.

It comes after a poor inspection in April, which said elderly residents, many of whom have dementia, were left on their own for long periods of time.

Essex County Council has worked with the home, which has about 40 residents, since then, but said repeated failings meant it had no choice but to pull the plug.

A spokesperson said: “Essex County Council has announced it will be terminating its contract with Queens Park Court Care Home in Billericay with immediate effect on the grounds of continuing safeguarding risks.

“The safeguards team at Essex County Council has been involved with the home extensively since April, after a poor CQC inspection, and there is an Essex County Council and CQC suspension in place preventing any new placements at the home.

“Despite these interventions, due to ongoing concerns and insufficient improvement in bringing the home up to the required standards, we have now taken the decision to terminate the contract.

“Residents and relatives have been notified of the decision and we will now be working with the families to ensure transfers are made safely and as smoothly as possible, taking into consideration the needs and preferences of the individuals concerned.”

The Echo contacted staff at Rushcliffe Care Home, which runs Queens Park, but they declined to comment.