Tens of thousands of elderly people in care homes are being hit with unexpected bills for hidden extras because of a lack of basic consumer protection, new research suggests.

Crisis-hit families grappling to find a care home to take in a frail loved-one - often at short notice - have less legal protection than than they would if they were booking a package holiday or switching gas supplier, a report by the charity Citizens Advice warns.

Around 300,000 pensioners in England and Wales are living in a care home at any given time, a clear majority of them over the age of 85.