Gloucestershire County Council has ordered a dramatic overhaul of its home care charges following a hard-hitting campaign by the Citizen.

In April Gloucestershire social services increased the cost of home care for pensioners and disabled people as one of several measures to claw back a £3.7m overspend.

The new charges, which were introduced at short notice, meant some people were charged £17 a week instead of £2 a week, and sparked a campaign by the Citizen calling on the council to re-think its decision and phase in any increases.

Social Services have now promised to review the charges and has said that if the proposed charges end up being cheaper than the existing ones, they will refund the difference, backdated to April.

Citizen editor Spencer Feeney said: "Gloucestershire County Council's decision to reconsider increased home care charges is welcome. But any victory is only partial.

"Those, including this newspaper, who have campaigned against the massive increases forced through without consultation, can take some satisfaction from making the council promise to introduce a completely new charging policy, and this time to consult fully with those who will be affected by it.

"But there remains a danger that, following this review, some of the county's most vulnerable residents will still be facing big increases.

"The campaign has won one important concession, that a home care charges policy must be fair, just and equitable.

"Now it must keep up the pressure to ensure that the charges that result from that policy are also affordable."