SALCOMBE Care Home, Wells Court, is to close by the end of June – due to a lack of enquiries for residents.

Wells Court can house up to 24 residents, but only 16 spaces are currently filled, putting pressure on the owners Devon Care Group.

A spokesman for the group said: 'We feel that because Salcombe has such a large amount of second homes, many of the permanent Salcombe residents that would once have wanted to stay within the Salcombe area no longer live in the area.'

The news comes in the same week that the resort was named as 'the most expensive seaside town in the UK' for property prices.

Staff were told on Tuesday, May 19, that the home was to close in six weeks, something the team understands, but have still found upsetting. We just want the residents and their families to know how sad we are that it's closing', said Andy Hammett, who has worked there since leaving school.

'I've been here seven years, since I was 20, and we're like a little family.

'The staff have been offered other jobs inside the group and the residents have all got somewhere to move to. We're just sad to see them go.'

'It's heartbreaking' said Abbi Jenkins. 'We are such a close-knit family and we're all going in separate directions. The home will officially close on June 30, but if the residents have already left, then it will be sooner.

For more on this story, see this week's Kingsbridge & Salcombe Gazette