The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said that elderly residents at a nursing home it shut down today were at a "significant risk of harm" - after discovering people were being washed with cold water, that the care home smelt of urine and that carers were working there without criminal records checks.

The CQC, the body charged with inspecting health and social care services across the country, spoke out after Merok Park Nursing Home, in Park Road, Banstead, was ordered to shut this afternoon, with just hours notice given to residents.

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Adrian Hughes, deputy chief inspector of adult social care in the south for the CQC, said a number of serious issues were identified at the home when it was inspected last month and on the first of this month.

These included residents - many of whom suffer with dementia - being washed in cold water, being poorly manually handled, not being supported to eat and living in a dirty home smelling overwhelming of urine.

The inspector said some staff had not had criminal records checks conducted and were working up to 60 hours a week, and that there were not enough staff members on duty.

He said that the home’s owners, who are Soondressen Cooppen and his wife Maleenee, had been made aware of the CQC’s concerns some time ago but had not taken action to maintain the safety and welfare of its residents.

In a statement to the Epsom Guardian, Mr Hughes said: "We have taken urgent action today to remove CQC registration from Merok Park Nursing Home in Banstead because of concerns that the people living there are at significant risk of harm.

"CQC does not take enforcement action lightly given the obvious impact on people who live in nursing and residential care homes, but in this case we - and other agencies locally - felt that the home was unsafe.

"During a comprehensive inspection of the home on 28 November and 1 December 2014 - which took place in response to concerns which had been raised with CQC - we identified a number of serious issues with the care provided at Merok Park.

"We saw that people living in the home were not being appropriately supported by staff, and witnessed some incidents of poor manual handling.

"People were being washed in cold water, there was a high risk of people developing pressure sores due to inappropriate beds.

"People were not supported to eat, and the home was dirty. The smell of urine in the home on the first day of the inspection was overpowering.

"Some staff working in the home had not had criminal records checks, and staff were working up to 60 hours a week.

"There were not enough staff on duty, and relevant training had not been provided.

"A broken lift had left some people unable to get downstairs in the home for several weeks.

"Taking any decision which causes people to leave their homes is always difficult at any time of year - but it is our view, shared by other agencies, that it was no longer safe for people to remain in Merok Park.

"The level of concerns we had here were rare, and robust action was needed.

"The local authority and the clinical commissioning group are in the process of moving people to other services, and we are continuing to monitor the situation."

Have you been affected by the situation at Merok Park? Contact Hardeep Matharu by emailing hmatharu@london.newsquest.co.uk.