A ROSYTH woman fears her 83-year-old dad will be left out in the cold if a Dunfermline care home removes its smoking room.

Barchester Healthcare, which runs Canmore Lodge care home, plans to get rid of its residents' smoking room and replace it with a smoking shelter outside.

But Jean Clark (57) says the plans will cause problems for residents like her dad, George Inglis, who has lived at the home for the last four years.

She has concerns over the supervision and exposure to the weather if residents have to go outside to smoke and is now asking Barchester to reconsider its position.

Non-smoker Jean, of Ridley Drive, said, "Right now only my dad and another resident, Gerald Grandison, smoke.

"He's not happy about it. There's nobody more than me who'd like my dad not to smoke but he does.

"He's 83 and he's been smoking all his life.

"Gerald is not as capable as my dad and needs supervision. Somebody sits with him in the room when he smokes.

"My dad's able to walk from his room to the smoking room but how will it work if he has to go outside?

"Who's going to make sure he has his jacket on and if he gets back in?

"My dad sometimes gets up in the middle of the night for a cigarette too and Gerald is 73 and in a wheelchair." Care homes are among the places exempted from complying with smoking legislation.

Jean recognised Barchester's right to remove the room but added, "They're asking two old men to go and stand outside in what basically is a bus shelter.

"It's so unfair on two old men who basically don't have a lot going on in their lives - the only things they have is having a smoke and now they'll have to go out as well.

"I've been told they were hoping to hold it off until April when the bad weather is over but what happens next winter?

"They said it was for health and safety reasons but how could it be - it's staff who already smoke who go into the room to supervise.

"I've been told the room is only being used by two people when it could be used by all - but they could give them a smaller room." Jean has taken the matter to Cowdenbeath MSP Helen Eadie, who has written to Barchester chief executive Mike Parsons urging a rethink.

Mrs Eadie said, "I cannot see how sending an 83-year-old man outside from his own home to smoke is either fair or just.

"Much as I applaud moves to cut smoking I think the management have got this one wrong.

"Prisoners in Scotland get to smoke indoors and I think the current arrangements at Canmore are the right ones.

"The management should think again before forcing older folk out into the cold for a cigarette." A spokesperson for the care home said, "Canmore Lodge can confirm that they will be closing the smoking room at the home as our residents' health and wellbeing is always our utmost priority.

"A sheltered area outside has been constructed specifically to accommodate the smokers at the home and to protect other residents and our staff.

"We respect the privacy of our residents and staff in all matters and are therefore unable to give any further comment."