TV presenter and broadcaster Fred Dinenage has officially opened a new state-of-the-art care home in the Test Valley.

He was joined by Romsey's mayor Mrs Dorothy Baverstock and her escort Miss Wendy Morrish along with Romsey Extra Parish Council chairman Chris Wesson for the ceremony at Abbotswood Court.

The new 63-bed care home which is fully equipped to provide residential and dementia care, including permanent care, respite and day care services is at Abbotswood near Woodley on the eastern outskirts of Romsey.

The three-storey development has two floors devoted the dementia care and one for residential care. It also has an upmarket hair salon and nail bar that residents can use any time.

Hampshire-based Hartford Care is behind the £8m project which includes specialised nursing care. Currently the care home's opening has created about 25 jobs but Harford Care say that eventually it will lead to around 80 employment opportunities.

Opening the care home Fred said: "Abbotswood Court is now the fourth home within the Hartford Care family that I have visited and the third that I have been invited to open. It is vibrant and stylish and yet I got the feel of being at home. I don’t know how you do it! It is so clear that the staff always put your resident’s needs first and because of this Abbotswood Court continues to change my view of life in a care home for the better. "

Hartford cracked opened the champagne to celebrate the opening and invited guests who were given a tour of the building off Woodley Lane by Abbotswood Court's manager Gemma Ridout-Bowden.

They were also given a taste of food dished up at the care home by Harford Care's chefs John Hobart and Dawn Sharpe who has worked with top TV chef Gordon Ramsey. And harpist Audrey Finnemore entertained them with some music.

Harford Care's boss Sean Gavin said: "We are very proud of each of our homes and Abbotswood Court is a product of all the experiences that we have enjoyed and learned from many years of providing great care. Our ethos at Hartford Care is simple – we seek to provide a caring, comfortable and happy environment where our residents can enjoy life to the full, secure in the knowledge that, in every respect, their needs are taken care of. Whilst the physical attributes of a home are important we believe that it is the people within our homes that make them special – a place where care, comfort and companionship can be found.”

Hartford has numerous care homes across Hampshire including sites at Netley Abbey, Lyndhurst and Fair Oak.