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Three elderly women have been asked to leave their sheltered accommodation because of their alleged disruptive behaviour. The Abbeyfield Society, which runs the home and is now liaising with social services in a bid to resolve the situation, has been criticised by Age Concern.

The trio, who are all over 90, have been asked to leave Abbeyfield House in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire after receiving warnings that their behaviour had caused a series of staff resignations and is threatening the home's long- term future.

However, the three residents, who now face the prospect of losing their accommodation, deny that their behaviour has caused disruption and an unpleasant atmosphere that has led to acute staff shortages and the prospect of the home closing down altogether.

Celia Gill, aged 94, Anita Merrick, aged 92, and another 94-year-old resident who does not wish to be named have been told that their "haughty and divisive" behaviour and critical comments must cease. The three women say they are not troublemakers and that they simply wish to draw attention to issues that they do not feel comfortable with.

Stephen Boyo, housing policy officer at Age Concern, says that the situation could have been avoided: "We are very concerned about the deep distress this is likely to have caused to the residents and the way that the situation has been allowed to develop.

"We run the Age Concern Advice, Information and Mediation Service, and this is a way of attempting to resolve disputes for older people before they reach such a serious stage. If proper dispute resolution had been put in place at the right time, it is doubtful that such a damaging conclusion would have been reached."

A spokesperson for the Abbeyfield Society said that the charity provides housing and care in small friendly households for about 8,500 older people. "It is part of Abbeyfield's ethos to maintain a pleasant domestic atmosphere for the benefit of residents and all concerned." He added that Abbeyfield had initiated its own quality standard, endorsed by housing regulators, which local Abbeyfield societies were working towards. This included the Abbeyfield Stow Society.

"At Abbeyfield House this atmosphere is threatened and the local Abbeyfield Stow Society is doing all it can to restore harmony," he said. "It is working to resolve the difficulties with three residents who have received two verbal warnings and a written warning informing them that disruptive behaviour must cease, so that all the residents can live together peacefully in the house."