Bosses of a Radcliffe care home have issued an apology after two carers were jailed for neglect when an 87-year-old woman fell on the floor and fractured her pelvis.

Susan Logan and Lauren Gillies, who both used to work at the Half Acre Care Home, in Higher Ainsworth Road, were both jailed for six months at Bolton Crown Court on April 1.

The court was told that Ethel Rider, who has dementia, needed to be turned over every two hours throughout the night to prevent bed sores, and that care home policy stated that two people were needed to carry out the procedure safely.

But Logan carried out the move on her own on the morning of May 19 last year, but when she reached for a towel she let go of Mrs Rider, who fell to the floor.

Logan pressed an emergency button after the incident, and her supervisor Gillies attended to hoist Mrs Rider back into her bed, which the court was told would have caused her further pain.

The pair then decided to concoct a story to cover their tracks, and also falsified records at the care home to make it appear that two people had been moving Mrs Rider.

After the hearing, a spokesman for the care home said: "We are very sorry for the distress caused to Mrs Rider and her family as a result of the actions of the carers.

"The wellbeing of the people in our care is our priority and we feel that the residents and other caring staff in the home have been let down."

Mrs Rider's relatives were in court for the hearing.

Her daughter, Julie Murphy, who was accompanied by her husband Russell, said: "We didn't expect them to get a prison sentence, so we were quite satisfied with the outcome.

"It is difficult to tell whether she has improved because she can't communicate, but going off things like temperature, she seems to be well."

Logan, aged 59, of Trencherbone, Radcliffe, and Gillies, aged 25, of Stubbins Street, Ramsbottom, were both said to be remorseful, and had both pleaded guilty to one charge of wilful neglect.