Elderly care plans put forward by the government have been questioned by a leading campaign group.

Age Concern has warned that government proposals for social care lack the funding necessary to ensure proper legal checks can be carried out on carers.

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern England said: "It is extremely worrying that under these proposals an older person could hire a care worker who is completely un-checked.

"The desperately under-resourced Criminal Records Bureau should be given a cash injection so that people have the option to check the safety of care workers for themselves."