ELDERLY people in sheltered housing are preparing to take action to make sure their voices are heard.

They want to keep their live-in wardens and believe that Worcester Community Hous-ing has already decided to take them away, despite a great deal of opposition.

It is proposed to replace resident wardens in 13 sheltered complexes with teams of full and part-time wardens.

Night cover will be unaffected and three very sheltered schemes for the old and frail will keep their wardens.

"I don't think they have the tenants' welfare at heart," said Joan Parker, one of 30 tenants in sheltered housing at Furness Close.

"We all came here because there was a resident warden and we knew we would be looked after, but now they are going to change it," she said.

"I don't think any of the residents really agree with this change. But it's not a suggestion. They are telling us what they are going to do."

She said they were upset that their warden would lose her home of 18 years, besides worrying about losing her help in organising social activities.

"Having strangers coming round won't be the same. All we are going to do is sit between four walls and stagnate," said Mrs Parker.

She said tenants of sheltered housing schemes across the city had been invited to meet at Furness Close tomorrow at 6pm, when they would decide what action to take.

Jean Hartley, housing director of Worcester Community Housing, said the concerns of residents would be reported to the board at a meeting on Wednesday, November 9. "The consultation process was fair and transparent.

"We had meetings with residents in all the sheltered schemes and listened to their comments and concerns, besides offering further visits to meet individuals," she said.

"We followed that up with letters to answer the most frequently asked questions."

She added that a 24-hour warden service would be maintained under the new proposals and tenants would soon get to know wardens in the team.

It would still be part of their role to organise the social activities.