Pensioners staying at a Dagenham care home run by Southern Cross will be safeguarded until this autumn, the belegured group has vowed.

The UK’s largest care home provider, which runs Alexander Court home in Rainham Road South, is planning to make 3,000 staff redundant across its homes this summer.

It pledged on Thursday to work with its landlords to ensure “continuity and quality of care for every resident” during the restructuring programme.