Concerns raised over social care during a open meeting attended by local MP Neil Parish.

Former three-times Honiton mayor Joanna Bull has called for a meeting to discuss social care for the elderly.

She made the plea at an open meeting to discuss pension changes, held by Honiton Voice last Friday, which was attended by local MP Neil Parish.

Honiton resident Tony Simpson, a former secretary of Honiton Voice, said: “Why is it in this country that we can afford to hand money over to bankers but we can’t afford social care?”

He added: “Something is desperately wrong here and must be concerning a number of people here about what is going to happen to them.”

Mr Parish replied: “We have to make choices about social care and how we pay for it in the future.”

When asked about the costs of social care, he said: “It has got to be very high - simply because the cost of care is substantial.

“We want to keep the level affordable both for individuals and for the state.”

He said: “In the end, with care, we have got two choices: accept that we either pay for all care or the other is taxation and expect contributions.”

No date for a meeting was set. Watch this space for further information.