The public sector catering firm, Apetito, has warned councils of the soaring financial cost of putting more elderly people in care homes.

Responding to a report by the International Monetary Fund on fast-rising life expectancy rates, the company's sales, marketing and development director, Ian Stone, said the annual cost of care home provision in the UK was likely to reach £15.6bn by 2020, while the estimated total cost of domiciliary care would be £1.2bn.