Three people have been found dead and four people have been taken to hospital after an incident at a Dorset care home, police said.

Emergency services are at the scene at the Gainsborough Care Home in Ulwell Road in Swanage, with the remaining residents having been evacuated to a safe location.

Dorset Police said the deaths are being treated as unexplained, with an investigation launched, but Gary Suttle, from Dorset Council, told the PA news agency there is a “suspicion” that “this could be attributable to carbon monoxide but it has not been proven”.

The force added: “The families of those who have died have been informed and the coroner has been notified.

“At this time there is nothing to indicate any risk to the wider public.”

“We understand this incident will have a significant impact on the Swanage community and our thoughts are very much with the families of those who have sadly died at this extremely difficult time.”

Katie Lobban, a spokeswoman for gas distribution company SGN, said they were called to the Gainsborough Care Home earlier on Wednesday as the national gas emergency service for the south of England.

She said engineers were sent to complete safety checks in the building, adding: “Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this tragic incident.”

Mr Suttle also labelled the incident “tragic”.

He told PA: “Our condolences and sympathy are with those who have lost their lives in this tragic event.”

The councillor said evacuated care home residents were initially taken to All Saint’s Church, near the scene, and will be moved to other placements.

He told of local residents “kindly” going to the church with blankets in acts of “great community support”.

People living near the scene in Ulwell Road saw residents being taken out of the building.

One man, who did not want to give his name, told PA: “They evacuated the care home, Gainsborough Care Home.

“They have taken all the patients out but the emergency services are still on the scene.”

He said he saw some residents being taken out in wheelchairs.

He estimated there were two fire engines, three to four police cars and around eight or nine ambulances at the scene, where the road remains closed.

Patricia Garnel, who lives in Ulwell Road, said she started hearing sirens “non-stop” from around 8am.

“I knew something was happening as we started hearing sirens non-stop from around 8, 8.30am,” the 53-year-old told PA.

“As I was driving to the ferry the road was closed. I made it around, got to the ferry and police, ambulances and fire brigades were crossing from Poole to Swanage. It was a huge apparatus. One I’ve never seen.”

Emergency service vehicles on Ferry Road
Emergency service vehicles in Ferry Road, Swanage (@PatriciaGarnel/X/PA)

South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It will certainly be hitting the whole community hard. Swanage is a small tight-knit seaside town and I know people will be devastated by the news three people have sadly passed away.

“I think it’s really important that we allow the police and all the other emergency services to carry out their inquiries which are already under way, at which point they’ll be able to give us a fuller picture of just what’s gone on here.”

The home, run by Agincare, has 48 residents, all elderly and some with dementia.

A spokesperson for the Gainsborough Care Home said it has allocated “extra staffing resources” to provide support after an incident at the site, and that residents moved to a village hall and church are “safe and well”.

They said: “We appreciate that this is a stressful and worrying time for those involved, and have allocated extra staffing resources to provide support locally. We are contacting and updating residents’ families.

“We will continue to work with the lead local authority services to return residents into their home at the earliest opportunity, and will provide further updates in due course.”

A Dorset Council spokeswoman said the authority was working with Agincare and partner agencies to support the care home residents who had been evacuated.

“Many of the residents are vulnerable people with significant care needs and, so, we are working with them to understand how to meet their needs in the short term and identify their next steps.”

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive also said they were supporting Dorset Police and other relevant authorities, while the Care Quality Commission said they were monitoring the situation and were in contact with the provider to make sure other residents are kept safe.