Pensioners delivering a petition to the town hall were left waiting in the cold for an hour because no council officer would come outside to collect it.

The residents of Walton House care home delivered a 3797-signature petition against the proposed closure of their home on Friday but were told by a lawyer that no officer could take it in public because a Guardian photographer was there.

During the ensuing argument, frail protestors waited for half an hour before five residents were allowed to go up in a small lift one by one to deliver the petition - a process which took an hour in all.

Jean James-Shaw, whose mother lives at the home in Chingford Mount Road, Chingford said: “It was disgusting behaviour, they kept us waiting forever. The residents were very cross, they can’t really understand how they can treat the elderly like this.”

Chingford MP, Iain Duncan Smith called the incident a charade and a farce.

“I think it’s mad. They have forgotten what they all exist for, they exist to serve the people in Waltham Forest,” he said.

‘The residents are well-mannered decent people trying to save their home.”

But a council spokeswoman said Mrs John Shaw and Mr Duncan Smith had been told council officers would only take the petition if they were not photographed.

She added: “The council was not informed that several elderly residents of Walton House would be brought to the town hall on Friday, and it was only by chance that the deputy chief executive was available to take the petition.

“However, he made himself available immediately and all of the residents were invited into the town hall to formally present the petition.

She said that four council consultation meetings have taken place at the care home and residents families and staff asked to contribute.

She added: “As has been stated before, the council has no intention to stop residents from protesting and making their views known publicly.”

Mrs James-Shaw said only two consultations had been held and at the first residents had learnt about the closure.

The council plans to close Walton House and five other homes and replace them with two new care homes in 2011. But protestors suspect the new buildings will never appear.

Last week care home staff were threatened with disciplinary action if they spoke to the press, allowed themselves to be photographed or helped residents to do so.