Oldies up for auction

Councils in the UK are putting the elderly and disabled "up for auction" on eBay-style websites where care homes bid against each other to offer them a bed.

More than a dozen local authorities are listing vulnerable people's details, including their age and the type of care and medication they need. Homes in the area are then invited to bid to offer them a home.

Often, the cheapest offer wins, the Daily Mail reports.

One critic likened the system to "auctioning your granny" and said it was like a "cattle market". But the system does save money. One council said it had reduced spending by almost a fifth.