Alleged abuse uncovered in Kentish Town's Ash Court Care Home

Eighty-year-old Maria Worroll,a former dinner lady in Belsize Park, was allegedly abused for several months at the Ash Court Care Home on Ashcham Street, Kentish Town, North London, according to the Ham and High.

In an echo of Winterbourne View, video evidence allegedly shows her being slapped, shouted at and having her arm twisted by one of the employees.

She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and is unable to speak or walk. After seeing bruises on Mrs Worroll’s arms, Mrs Worroll’s daughter, Jane, decided to buy a motion-sensitive camera which she planted in her room for four weeks.

Mr Worroll told the Ham and High: "My mum has been in the care home for seven months and became tearful a month after moving in. Over the last two to three months, my sister kept speaking about the bruising on her arms. My mum was very tearful and would burst into tears whenever anybody visited her. Her food was always left on the table."

The care home have suspended one of their employees and are carrying out an internal review of four others.

Four female carers also filmed apparently mistreating Mrs Worroll were suspended yesterday by Forest Healthcare, which runs 13 care centres in the South-East, according to the Evening Standard.

Mrs Worroll's granddaughter, Rebecca, 26, told the Evening Standard: "You can hear my nan crying and you see the man hit her in the face and slap her. My nan had not done anything, she tried to comply with everything that he said, but he just walks in and hits her. It was so sad to watch, she couldn't do anything."

They face claims that they made fun of the 80-year-old and did not use correct procedures in handling Mrs Worroll.

Ash Court Care Home say "The dignity, health and wellbeing of all the people we support at Ash Court remains our number one priority", but it is shocking that this abuse went on for several months, and was only uncovered by a relative. Heads must roll.

A 30 year old man is due to to appear at Central London police station on July 19 in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Mrs Worroll is currently still living at Ash Court. Detectives from Camden CID are now expected to interview all staff and residents at the home.

We must keep up the pressure on the police, Ash Court and Camden Council to bring the alleged abusers to justice. If found guilty, the carers should be named and shamed.