A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “Our lawyers sought the urgent closure of Greenlaw Grove care home at Hamilton Sheriff Court today. The sheriff made an order suspending the care home’s registration to take effect from 21 March 2018. We strongly welcome that.

“This means the home cannot continue to operate after 21 March, which will help keep people safe where they would otherwise have been at significant risk.

"It is extremely rare for us to take action of this nature and we do so only when we must protect people from harm.

“We continue to work closely with colleagues at East Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership to ensure that residents’ needs are met and that appropriate plans are in place to ensure continuity of care for all residents of Greenlaw Grove ahead of 21 March.

“We understand this will be a really worrying time for relatives and their families.

“Everyone in Scotland has the right to safe, compassionate care which meets their needs and respects their rights. Anyone with a concern about a care service is urged to contact us."

In August 2017 the Care Inspectorate served the following improvement notice on Greenlaw Grove care home:

You can read the service's information, including the latest inspection report here.