A care home's trustees have spoken out after an elderly resident died on the day she was made to move out under plans to sell the building.

Helen Fairfax, chairman of the Dresden House Trust, and her colleagues Jacky Laurie and David Grinyer said they were deeply saddened by the death of Edna Henshall, 84, who died of a suspected stroke.

They said Mrs Henshall's death was "terribly regrettable."

They added: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Mrs Henshall as we would be at the death of any of our ladies.

"It is terribly regrettable and our deepest sympathies go to Mrs Henshall's family and friends."

The trustees made the statement a day after The Argus reported how Mrs Henshall's son Ian blamed his mother's death on the decision to close Dresden House, where she had planned to spend her years ahead in comfort.

He said she began suffering severe panic attacks in the run up to her day of departure from Dresden House, in Medina Villas.

She died of a suspected stroke on Monday, the day she was due to be moved to a new home in Worthing.

A brain haemorrhage left her in severe difficulties and she died at the Royal Sussex Hospital hours later.

In January, the 33 women living at Dresden House were given just 11 weeks to move out of the home because trustees said it was no longer financially viable.

By Tuesday all but ten residents had moved out and the trustees yesterday stood by the closure decision. They said: "The trust was haemorrhaging money and the home could not have been kept up to standard in the future."

Nick Steadman, nephew of Alice Pink, 93, who is due to move from Dresden House next week, said "key questions" still remained over the closure of the home.

He said relatives and residents would still like to know exactly how and why the decision to close the house was made.

He would also like to see accounts which prove the trust was haemorrhaging money. They are not due to be published until later this year.

Mr Steadman said: "There are still substantial and key questions to be asked of the trustees about why the home is being closed.

"We have not had any clear answers."

Trustees have also sought to reassure residents and relatives that a full £50 will be paid to each residents to cover future re-homing costs.

Paul Bowdidge, son of Vera Bowdidge who moved out of Dresden House to another home believed his mother was only receiving money over and above costs at Dresden House.

He said: "My mother was paying £456 a week at Dresden but at the new home she has to pay £495 and I've been told we will only get the £39 difference when we were explicitly told we would get the whole £50."

Trustees said all residents would be able to claim the full £50 after applying to the trust, regardless of what future care costs are.