Anger is growing over the decision by a major charity to evict vulnerable residents from the Tapestries retirement home in Old Windsor.

The National Benevolent Charity is selling the property in Straight Road which still has 24 flats in occupation, including one woman in her 90s.

Each occupant received a letter giving them three months notice from September - although a recent change in rules by the Government because of the Coronavirus temporarily blocks this.

Royal Borough councillor Lynne Jones, who represents Old Windsor, said: "We are talking about a group of vulnerable and elderly residents being told they are going to be homeless in the middle of a pandemic.

"I am absolutely shocked. When I heard about this I had no words - I thought someone must have got it wrong."

Cllr Jane Dawson, who is chairman of Old Windsor Parish Council, said: "My stance is that for a charity to make elderly and vulnerable residents homeless is uncharitable to say the least - especially when the Coronavirus is such a threat."

She said no-one disputed the charity's right to sell the property but that they wanted it to commit to sell to a similar organisation that would be able to take care of the existing residents.

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But Ali Russell, CEO for the Gloucestershire based National Benevolent Charity, said that it was obliged to get the best price it could for the property and that residents had to be given required notice period to leave in case new owners wanted to take complete possession.

She said the charity had never offered tenancies for life.

She said: "This will present some challenges for some of the tenants and the charity is in discussion with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and the Almshouses Association about their re-settlement if it becomes necessary. Those tenants who do move have been offered £1000 in respect of their removal costs and a further support package is being developed."

She added: "I am sorry that people feel we are being uncharitable, it is not our intention."

But Cllr Lynne Jones pointed out that the Royal Borough had a serious shortage of available housing for people in need, saying of the charity: "They don't understand the housing situation in this area and I don't think they realise what they are doing to these people. It is a corporate decision made without understanding the impact it will have."