Bromyard's Mayor, Coun Bill Gibbard, is calling for a referendum to be held on the future of the Froome Bank care home.

Froome Bank is facing possible closure or privatisation under a Herefordshire Council review.

Coun Gibbard, who stressed that the referendum idea was "a personal view", said that Froome Bank was an essential facility in a town where, in line with the rest of the county, the numbers of elderly people are expected to rise in the years ahead.

"What the hell are we doing closing residential homes?" he asked.

"I think the people of Herefordshire should decide for themselves. We all have older residents. The extended family in Herefordshire is very strong at the moment. We should not forget that."

Coun Gibbard suggested a county-wide written referendum on whether or not local people would each be willing to pay "an extra 2p on the rates" towards residential care for the elderly.

Herefordshire Council says that each place in its seven residential care homes, including Froome Bank and Leadon Bank in Ledbury, costs £100 more per resident per week for the same standard of care offered by the private sector.

But Coun Gibbard called for detailed costings, regarding the running of all seven council-owned homes.

He said: "Give us the facts and we'll know what we are talking about."