Inquiries are continuing into the death of a 91 year old man in a Highland care home after he was allegedly attacked by another dementia sufferer in front of other residents.

John Taylor suffered nine injuries to his head in the incident at Meallmore Lodge Care Home near Daviot south of Inverness.

A retired civil engineer from the Black Isle, he was diagnosed with dementia six years ago, but had continued to live an active life until earlier this year.

He died in the middle of last month and his funeral was held the week before last. His attacker is understood to have been moved to a psychiatric hospital.

His family was told he died on the floor of the facility’s dining room a maximum of 30 minutes after the incident; and there could have been as many as seven other residents, but no staff.

His son Ian Taylor, who also lives on the Black Isle, said that the family had raised their concerns about staffing levels at the home shortly after his father moved in three months ago.

“We did report our concerns with the care home and we were assured that this shouldn’t have happened,” he said.

He said his father’s alleged attacker was in an advanced state of dementia.

“We were told that this other man had a history of violence or aggression, and clearly that raises the question of whether that person should have been in with other residents and what level of supervision there was.”

“What we’re concerned about is that everybody in there, and in any other care home, is being looked after in the way they should be. There is a duty of care,” he said.

A Crown Office spokesman said: “The Procurator Fiscal has received a report in connection with the death of a 91-year-old male in East Daviot on October 16 2015.

“The investigation into the death, under the direction of the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU), is ongoing and the family will be kept updated in relation to any significant developments."

The home is run by Meallmore Ltd based in Inverness which has over 20 other homes in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and the Central Belt.

The owners did not issue a statement.

Its website states: “Meallmore is a family run company and one of Scotland's leading providers of nursing and residential care. With care homes across Scotland, we specialise in caring for frail, elderly people with a wide range of medical conditions, including dementia.

It stresses that care is “individually tailored to the residents' needs and wishes”.

The home where Mr Taylor died was built in 1869 as a hunting lodge for the clan Macintosh, where royalty were entertained, notably Edward the Seventh. In later years it became a hotel and then in 1987 it was converted to a care home.

A spokesperson for Meallmore said: “A resident at our Meallmore Lodge care home passed away suddenly on Friday 16 October and our condolences are with his family at this difficult time.

“At the time, the staff responded quickly and professionally in calling all of the relevant emergency services and agencies, in line with our policy and regulations.  They also provided support to residents, colleagues and family members.

“The safety and wellbeing of our residents is Meallmore’s top priority at all times and we remain committed to providing quality care and support to residents across all of our homes.   We’re working with the relevant authorities to assist them with their investigations and cannot comment on details of the case, which is now with the office of the Procurator Fiscal for consideration.   

“Our staffing levels are set in line with the requirements set out by the Care Commission, which regulates our sector, and often exceed the minimum requirements.”