A care worker has told a jury how she discovered an elderly stroke victim lying in urine soaked clothing during an early morning raid on a private care home.

Agnes Smith, a home support worker with Lincolnshire County Council, was part of a team of care workers, social workers and police who carried out the raid on St Michael's Care Home at Waddington following complaints from staff alleging neglect of residents.

Mrs Smith told the jury at Lincoln Crown Court that she found most of the residents in comfortable conditions with no problems.

But she said she found two rooms where there were problems.

Mrs Smith said that one of the rooms was occupied by Roy Kendal who was sitting on his bed hanging onto the railings.

"When I entered his room the first thing was the smell of urine," she said.

"It wasn't fresh. It was a stale smell.

"It smelled like there was urine regularly in the room that had been allowed to fester."

The former manager of the home, Elaine Noble, is on trial accused of neglecting residents.

The prosecution say the home was understaffed at night resulting in a failure to change resident's incontinence pads. Residents were left lying in their own urine on a regular basis despite complaints to Noble from other members of staff.

Elaine Noble, 57, of Lagonda Close, Bracebridge Heath, Lincs, denies three charges of neglecting a person who lacks mental capacity between April 1, 2007 and 21 August 21, 2007. The charges relate to former residents Roy Kendal, 85, Hilda Shepherd, 82, and Irene Walker, 96.

The hearing continues.