The Alton Centre, in Irchester Road, Knuston, was shut down this week but an "interim" agreement has now been made, which means it can stay open pending an appeal against an emergency closure order.

However, the future of the centre remains uncertain after the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) found something of "serious and urgent" concern.

Relatives say they do not know if residents were going to be rehomed and were unaware of why the care home closed in the first place.

Leslie Weatherley, whose sister moved to the Alton Centre after a stroke four years ago, said: "We don't know what is going on. We hadn't been told the home would remain open."

The CSCI obtained a magistrates' order on Thursday, August 7, and started to move people out of the home using ambulances.

The care home's owner, Active Care, was to mount a High Court challenge yesterday.

However, the interim agreement was reached between Active Care, Northamptonshire County Council and Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust after three days of negotiations.

Representing Active Care, Philip Engelman attacked the closure as "unnecessary" and said there was not enough material before the magistrates to justify an emergency order.

He also criticised the inspectorate for failing to tell Active Care about the original magistrates court hearing, which meant the home could not put forward a defence.

Mr Engelman added that residents and relatives were "very upset" and that an emergency closure would amount to a violation of residents' human rights.

According to Mr Engelman, residents have legal capacity to decide for themselves where they live and could not be moved without their consent.

Guy Opperman, representing the commission's inspectorate, told the judge: "We cannot guarantee we will not prosecute but, in the present circumstances, we do not envisage that a prosecution would be in the public interest."

Mr Justice Ouseley described the agreement as "a perfectly sensible interim arrangement" pending the hearing of Active Care's appeal to the tribunal.