Bosses behind a proposed 54-bed home for the mentally ill have hit back at critics.

St Andrew's Hospital, spearheading plans for the home in Pound Lane, north Benfleet, said residents' fears for their safety if the home goes ahead were unfounded.

Families are fuming over plans for the residential home, already given planning permission by Basildon Council.

Councillors are also angry, saying they thought the home was to be used by the elderly when they granted permission for it last year. They are now seeking legal advice on ways to overturn the permission.

St Andrew's Hospital staff were slammed for not turning up at a public meeting on Friday to discuss the issue.

But spokesman Michael Hill yesterday defended the hospital's position.

He said: "Current medical opinion in the field of mental health care believes that the best way forward in the treatment of patients is to have them located as near to their relatives, friends and support services as possible.

"At our Northampton site we currently have some 400 patients whose homes are as far apart as the Channel Islands and Northern Scotland.

Forty come from the south east with more than half of those from Essex or the east London boroughs - we believe that their requirements can best be served by a nursing home in this area."

Mr Hill moved to allay residents' fears over their safety if the home is built in Pound Lane.

He said: "All the patients who will be housed at the Pound Lane site, most of whom we expect to have a type of schizophrenia, will be screened and assessed before they are admitted, will be monitored by highly experiences and skilled staff while they are in the hospital and will be living in a state-of-the-art medium-secure building.

"You have natural fears about the site, from our lengthy and wealth of experience we believe they are unfounded."

Jackie Rees O'Flynn, of the action group fighting the plans, said: "Our argument on the site in Northampton is that it was there first - the schools and houses came later.

"This hospital is coming into our community so we should have a choice."

"This is just PR - there's nothing new in this."

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