Nine Covid-linked deaths occurred within Moray's care homes

Newly released figures show there have been nine Covid-linked deaths in Moray's care homes.

Six of the deaths occurred at Glenisla in Keith.

The remaining three were at Wakefield House in Cullen, Meadowlark in Forres and Abbeyside in Elgin.

The figures were released this morning by the Crown Office unit which is examining the circumstances of all potential Covid deaths in care homes across Scotland.

More than 3400 care homes deaths are being considered by the prosecution service.

The unit's remit is to decide whether these should be the subject of a fatal accident inquiry or prosecution.

Responding to the publication of the data, GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said: "Before the first lockdown, care home staff were ringing the alarm about the vulnerability of services users and themselves.

"Those concerns were dismissed and even derided by the Scottish Government and care industry representatives.

"The reality is that while ministers were clapping for carers, staff were having to fight for the proper PPE and workplace testing, the basic tools needed to try and protect their health and safety and their service users too.

"There is no credibility in hiding behind poorly executed reports or investigations that focus on ordinary workers who had no say whatsoever in the decisions that led to one-third of all Covid-related deaths to date occurring in care homes.

"We need a public inquiry where the inaction of all responsible will be laid bare."