Dozens of vulnerable elderly people were left without heat as the ‘Beast from the East’ blanketed Scotland in snow last month, because managers had no plans to fix broken boilers, care inspectors found.

The failure of heating systems left more than 40 residents in two Stirlingshire care homes shivering as the storm raged, and Scotland's care watchdog the Care Inspectorate has now warned Leicester-based Mauricare Ltd. that three of its homes will be closed if immediate improvements are not made.

Alert inspectors traipsed through the snow after hearing concerns about the company’s homes Ashlea House and Ashwood House, in Callander and found both were without heating.

The heating was on in a third Mauricare home, Ashford House in Bridge of Allan, where another 24 elderly residents are housed but managers had no maintenance plan in place in the event it too had failed.

The enforcement notices warn Mauricare all three homes will be deregistered unless there is a "significant improvement in provision of the service". It is understood this is the first time the care watchdog has had to issue a threat to de-register three homes from a single provider at once.

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The Care Inspectorate said inspectors had visited Ashlea House and Ashwood House in the last week of February and found heating systems had broken and living areas in both homes were "unacceptably cold".

The watchdog says this means the homes were breaking the law and it is demanding the company demonstrates plans are in place to make alternative heating arrangements should a similar break-down occur again.

It must also ensure that there are appropriate service contracts in place to effectively maintain, service and repair all equipment and facilities in the care homes.

Ashlea House, which was given until this week to respond, must also ensure that there is adequate heating in all areas of the care home and in particular must ensure that the living room areas are heated to at least 21 degrees Celcius, with accurate thermometers in place in all areas of the home.

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A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “Most care homes perform well, but every person living in every care home is entitled to high-quality, compassionate care. Where heating systems break down, care homes must have alternative plans that are put in place quickly.

“We will continue to monitor all three care homes and will visit each one to check on progress. If we are not satisfied that the changes we require have been met we will not hesitate to take further action."

A spokesman for Mauricare Ltd said: "Unfortunately our boiler went down at one of the service and it took longer than normal to be fixed especially in face of the unprecedented weather conditions of late. Alternative systems were made available and residents were kept safe and warm without the need for relocation .

"We have since put in robust measures and systems to better face any such eventualities. We are thankful to all our staffs and relatives for support and understanding over the difficult period. We have already met some conditions in the warning notice and remain confident to meet the others within the time specified."