Council officers were forced to intervene after evidence emerged of “appalling” abuse of a great-grandmother at a Brent care home.

An investigation was launched at Meera House, in Stag Lane, following concerns around the treatment of 94-year-old Paniben Shah.

Mrs Shah’s family set up a hidden camera in a photo frame after she claimed staff were abusing her and her heath was deteriorating.

Recordings showed carers verbally abusing, threatening, hitting, roughly handling and dripping boiling water on Ms Shah in March 2018.

After the family showed Brent Council these videos, it suspended the perpetrators and helped move Mrs Shah to a new home.

At Harrow Crown Court on Friday (November 29), Anita Kc Thapa, 46, Anita Bc, 49, both from Edgware, and Heena Parekh, 55, from Borehamwood, were jailed for a total of one year and three months.

Dolan Roy, 39, and Moumita Roy, 34, both from Wembley, were both given community orders for their parts in the abuse.

Amit Shah, the victim’s grandson, told the Evening Standard he believes there was a culture of abuse at the care home.

He added he was glad to see the carers responsible given prison time but was disappointed at the length of the sentences.

A spokesman for Brent Council said: “We were made aware of the appalling behaviour captured in this video in April 2018 and took immediate action to ensure the safety of all residents at this care home.

“The staff members involved were suspended with immediate effect and we alerted the police, Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other partner agencies and we put a team of council officers into the care home straight way.

“Placements at the home were also suspended at this time. We worked extremely closely with the police to assist with their investigation and we are pleased justice has been done.”

Meera House was subject to an emergency inspection from the CQC in May last year.

Inspectors downgraded its ‘good’ rating to ‘requires improvement’ and said an “action plan had been implemented to improve safeguarding arrangements”.

A spokesman for Meera House said: “We were shocked and devastated by these events and acted immediately to suspend any member of staff that was implicated.

“We have subsequently worked closely with the police to assist in the prosecutions they have pursued. No member of staff involved in the incident remains at the home.

“At the time, we were inspected thoroughly by the CQC and relevant local authority safeguarding teams, who were all happy that there was no ongoing safeguarding concern at the home and that the issue had been addressed.”