Approval has been given for up to five new care homes for the elderly to be built in Fife over the next decade.

Councillors had been presented with a range of options including refurbishing existing facilities to end shared bathrooms for residents.

But the social work committee agreed to rubber-stamp the recommended option of beginning a programme of building new homes costing £40m.

The first two are likely to be Appin and Raith Gates in Kirkcaldy.

Alan McLure home in Glenrothes will also be high on the priority list after an inspection of all 10 of the council's facilities.

Committee chairman cllr Tim Brett said: "The decision we have made today is to provide for the changes which we will see in our elderly population in the coming years.

"It is time to act now to ensure that the aspirations and expectations we have for the care of our elderly are met now and for future generations.

"While we have made an absolute commitment to investment we must remain flexible as to how that investment will be made to ensure that people's needs are met for the next four decades."

Last week, Fife Council revealed its ambition to invest in the care homes services which it provides to about 300 people.

Only two of the 10 council run homes offer individual bathrooms for residents.