Private home residents intend to sue council

Two former residents of private homes for adults with learning
difficulties in Buckinghamshire are planning to sue the council
over the abuse they say they suffered.

However, they may be denied access to their own case files.

Buckinghamshire Council’s insurer, Zurich Municipal, has written
to local authorities which placed individuals in the homes,
advising them to deny the claimants’ solicitors access to case
files.

The former residents may sue other authorities, and they are
also planning to issue writs against the company, Longcare, which
runs Stoke Place and Stoke Green homes, and against the former
proprietor Gordon Rowe.

A police investigation is continuing, and files have been passed
to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire County Council said it was
not aware of legal proceedings.