Eighteen months ago the outbreak of Covid saw 400,000 residents locked in and their loved ones locked out.

       Today, with Christmas approaching, the scandal persists.

       Parliament's Human Rights Committee said there is widespread concern that restrictions are still being applied indiscriminately.

       It now wants answers from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as to why it failed to act on previous recommendations.

       It comes after this newspaper laid bare the human misery of visiting bans, with relatives left angry, upset and fearful at the denial of basic rights - despite care homes being ordered to open up. In a stinging letter to Peter Wyman, the head of the care regulator, Harriet Harman, the select committee chair, said: "It is clear many care homes are implementing highly restrictive visiting rules, potentially contrary to the Government's guidance.

       "As the guidelines do not have statutory force, we reiterate the importance of establishing better processes for data collection and for monitoring the right of residents and patients." She added: "We are concerned the difficulties we have highlighted persist and these recommendations have not been acted upon, which might lead to further infringements of residents' human rights during the winter."

       She has given the CQC until November 19 to respond.

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