Police are investigating an allegation concerning "injuries" to three former residents of a failing care home which was shut down last month.

Sutton police said it was working closely with Sutton Council to investigate the events and circumstances that led to the closure of Grantley Court Nursing Home, in York Road, Sutton on December 12.

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A spokesman said: "On Monday, December 15, an allegation was made to police concerning injuries to three former residents, two men and a woman, aged in their 80s and 90s.

"The joint police and Sutton Council investigation will seek to examine all circumstances and events around the closure of the home.

"There have been no arrests at this stage. Enquiries continue."

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The closure of Grantley Court came just a few days after Merok Park, in Park Road, Banstead, was shut down suddenly on December 9 after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) discovered people were being washed with cold water and staff were working there without criminal records checks.

An 85-year-old man died shortly after being moved out of the home, but his cause of death is unknown.

On December 12, Grantley Court Nursing Home was closed after the CQC said it had identified "significant failings in safety and quality of care" there.

On Christmas Day, a 91-year-old woman who was moved to another nursing home from there, died, but is not believed her death was linked to the move.

Both homes were owned by Cheam millionaire Soondressen Cooppen, who also owns Faygate House, in Mayfield Road, Sutton, which remains open.

A Sutton Council spokesman said Faygate House, which provides residential rather than nursing care, is now being monitored.

He said: "Moving vulnerable people from where they live is only done when there is no other option.

"In all three care home cases, they have not received the standard of care we expect.

"All the Sutton clients have been visited by social workers to ensure their needs are being met. Further visits to monitor their progress will take place.

"In the case of Merok Park, the CQC assessment was that residents would be at greater risk if the care home continued to operate.

"We immediately found suitable local placements for five of the Sutton residents who were living there. One resident was moved to the Midlands but this had already been pre-arranged.

"Separately, we had previously raised concerns with the CQC about the quality of care at Grantley Court. We subsequently moved all six of our Sutton residents to other local care homes before it closed.

"The concerns raised by Sutton Council officers and district nurses regarding Faygate House are being addressed.

"We are working closely with district nurses and CQC inspectors to monitor the situation.

"At all three homes, emergency action has been taken at considerable cost to the public purse to ensure the protection of vulnerable people who had been failed in a duty of care.

"This is clearly unacceptable."

A spokeswoman for the CQC said an unannounced inspection has taken place at Faygate House since the other closures and a report on this should be published by the end of February.

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All three homes are owned by Soondressen Cooppen

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