MADAM, My 90 year old mother was a Chestnuts resident, so I have read with interest the recent ongoing correspondence in relation to its closure.

While I agree with some points made by your correspondent Michael Field last week, I definitely DO NOT agree that it is too late for a Public Enquiry - like previous correspondents I feel it is essential to hold one.

What would it achieve? Hopefully the answers residents and their families, as well as the citizens of Ross, deserve.

My mother, like many ex-residents, is still missing The Chestnuts. We have had to move her to a Care Home outside Herefordshire due to lack of suitable vacancies closer. This means that, as well as us being unable to visit her as often as we did due to the distance involved, Mum's elderly friends from Ross can rarely visit at all. The mistakes made in this whole saga have had, and are, continuing to have, a direct effect on the lives of frail elderly people. Whilst I do not advocate a witch hunt, I do not feel it unreasonable to expect an investigation under these circumstances

The Chestnuts was not a commercial business but a Charitable Trust run for the people of Ross by volunteers on a not-for-profit basis. These volunteers willingly put themselves forward for this task - thereby shouldering a moral as well as actual responsibility. There should be accountability and transparency. If all was not well, what went wrong and why?

Another important fact which has been overlooked is that residents like my Mother (who is not Local Authority funded) was paying to live at The Chestnuts so is surely owed an explanation as to why a Charitable Trust allowed itself to get into a position whereby it fell into insolvency. No discussion over higher fees or financial problems was ever broached to those paying the bills as far as I know.

Answers are needed. A letter was sent out to residents and their families from The Chestnuts Trustees on June 28th with a copy of their press statement. The only other correspondence I have received with regard to The Chestnuts was last week from the official liquidator with a copy of the 'Special Resolution' liquidation notice.

At the end of the day residents were the ones who lost their happy home so surely they still DO deserve a public enquiry and DO deserve answers. I hope that they get both.

Judy Brown,