Live: Three dead and four in hospital after ‘suspected carbon monoxide leak’ at Swanage care home

A spokesperson for Gainsborough Care Home said they have allocated "extra staffing resources" to provide support after an incident at the residence in Swanage. 

"An incident involving the care home took place this morning, and we have been closely working with the lead agencies to manage the welfare of all concerned.

"The wellbeing of residents is always our over-riding priority, and part of the local business continuity plan was to transfer residents in a managed way to a local village hall and church, where they remain safe and well.

"We appreciate that this is a stressful and worrying time for those involved, and have allocated extra staffing resources to provide support locally. We are contacting and updating residents' families.

"We will continue to work with the lead local authority services to return residents into their home at the earliest opportunity, and will provide further updates in due course."

A spokesperson for Gainsborough Care Home said that "the wellbeing of residents is always our overriding priority," and "we appreciate that this is a stressful and worrying time for those involved."

They said:

"An incident involving the care home took place this morning, and we have been closely working with the lead agencies to manage the welfare of all concerned.

The wellbeing of residents is always our overriding priority, and part of the local business continuity plan was to transfer residents in a managed way to a local village hall and church, where they remain safe and well.

We appreciate that this is a stressful and worrying time for those involved, and have allocated extra staffing resources to provide support locally. We are contacting and updating residents’ families.

We will continue to work with the lead local authority services to return residents into their home at the earliest opportunity, and will provide further updates in due course."

Three people have died at Gainsborough Care Home under "unexplained" circumstances, Dorset Police has confirmed.

Police also said the families of the deceased have been informed, and the coroner has been notified.

Four other people have been taken to hospital as a precaution and other residents of the address have been evacuated to a safe location.

The police say there is nothing to indicate any wider risk to the public.

Reverend Jo Levasier, the Team Vicar for All Saint's Church, confirmed that the carers and some residents from Gainsborough Care Home have been evacuated to nearby All Saint's Church.

Katie Lobban, a spokesperson for Southern Gas Network said: "We were called to Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage earlier today in our capacity as the national gas emergency service for the south of England.

"Our engineers are waiting for access to the building to complete safety checks

 "Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this tragic incident."

People living on Ulwell Road in Swanage, Dorset, saw Gainsborough Care Home residents being evacuated amid a heavy emergency services presence outside the home.

One man, who did not want to give his name, told the PA news agency: "They evacuated the care home, Gainsborough Care Home. 

"They have taken all the patients out but the emergency services are still on the scene."

He said he saw some residents being evacuated in wheelchairs. 

He believed emergency services arrived around 7am on Wednesday, and he started to see people being moved out at around 8.30am.

He estimated there were two fire engines, three to four police cars and around eight or nine ambulances at the scene, where the road remains closed.