A care home provider at the centre of a scandal sold its entire business to a different operator before Christmas.

The Morleigh Group says it will not make any financial gain from the sale of its five care homes to Cornwallis Care Services.

Current staff will remain in their posts, said a Morleigh Group spokesperson.

Four of the five homes are in South East Cornwall: Tregertha Court in Looe; St Theresa’s in Callington; Elmsleigh in Par; and Collamere in Lostwithiel.

Clinton House in St Austell was closed following an undercover report by the BBC’s Panorama which also criticised St Theresa’s.

Watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) subsequently placed the homes in Callington, Par and Lostwithiel into special measures.