Fresh row erupts over the eviction of Louisa Watts, 106 from Bushbury nursing home
Apr 29 2010 by Steve Bradley, Birmingham Mail
A FURIOUS row has re-ignited over the eviction of a 106-year-old woman from her Black Country care home following the posting of a controversial new video on the internet.
A powerful two-minute film showing Louisa Watts being moved from Underhill House in Bushbury, Wolverhampton, suggests to locals that they should “evict” eight councillors who voted for the home’s closure from office next week.
The source of the YouTube video has yet to be confirmed, although it echoes a campaign proposed by Birmingham businessman Trevor Beattie, whose cash offer to keep the home open was snubbed by Wolverhampton City Council.
The film, set to a soundtrack of Albinoni’s mournful Adagio, shows Mrs Watts and her friends being led out of Underhill House in January in the snow, “on the coldest day of the coldest winter for 30 years” as a caption puts it.
The elderly residents are wheeled into a minibus ambulance to be taken to their new home, a friend of Mrs Watts saying sadly: “Bye bye, home.”
PR guru Mr Beattie would not confirm today if the video was his. With the word “evict” above them, it posts pictures of Tory council leader Neville Patten, who is standing in Bushbury North, plus Andrew Wynne (Con, Tettenhall Wightwick), Barry Findlay (Con, Tettenhall Regis), Christine Mills (Con, Merryhill), Malcolm Gwinnett (Lib Dem, Springvale), Matthew Holdcroft (Con, Wednesfield South), Neil Clarke (Con, Wednesfield North) and Patricia Patten (Con, Penn), all up for re-election.
Mr Beattie said: “I’m beginning my campaign to evict Wolverhampton councillors who voted to close the home, and I’m just getting a few things together for it.”
Fallings Park Labour councillor Steve Evans, who led the campaign to save the home and who is himself seeking re-election, accused the council of “political malice” in evicting residents in the freezing cold.
Coun Holdcroft said: “It was an emotive issue and people are entitled to their opinions.”
