AN INQUEST into the deaths of residents at the centre of a care homes failings scandal dating back 18 years has been welcomed by a Gwent MP.

Wayne David, Labour MP for Caerphilly, has welcomed the start of the inquest into the deaths of individuals at Brithdir Nursing Home, in the Caerphilly Borough, between 2003 and 2005.

The inquest will begin on Monday and be held in Newport. It will run until the March 15 and be conducted by HMC Geraint Williams.

Mr David has been involved in the issue since 2005 when constituents brought to him concerns about how their relatives were being treated in Holly House Care Home near Maesycwmmer, which was run by Dr Prana Das.

When Holly House was closed many of the residents were transferred to Brithdir Nursing Home, (also run by Dr Das) Wayne David pressed for the establishment of Operation Jasmine, an in-depth investigation into care home abuse in South East Wales.

Later, Mr David argued for the Independent Review led by Dr Margaret Flynn, appointed by the Welsh Government.

In 2011 prosecutions were brought against Puretruce Health Care Ltd (the company that owned Brithdir) and Dr Das.

However, Dr Das was attacked at his home and after suffering severe head injuries he was found to be unfit to stand trial.

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As a result the trial was halted and the charges were laid on file.

He died in January last year.

The MP said: “I am very pleased that the inquest is starting, despite the delays caused by Covid.

"I very much hope that the inquest will provide at least some closure for the relatives.

"It is important that the terrible catalogue of events which led to the avoidable death of so many frail people is set out.

"Hopefully, the lessons of this painful episode are being learnt. Abuse of the elderly must not occur in any care home and it is the responsibility of society as a whole to make sure that this is the case”.

The inquest will initially focus on the deaths of three individuals – Stanley Bradford, Evelyn Jones and Edith Evans.