ESIDENTS living alongside abandoned homes they claim are teeming with rats, used condoms and needles today blasted a housing company and said: "The place is becoming more and more of a mess."

But Burnley and Padiham Community Housing, which took over thousands of homes from the council's housing stock two years ago, said neighbours in Hargher Clough, Burnley, needed to take responsibility for their own lives.

Burnley councillor and mayor elect Gordon Birtwistle said the company had neglected the estate.

He added: "We want the company to fulfil the promises they made. They said they could do any work on the houses if we voted for them to take over and they had millions of pounds to spend on it.

"But the place is becoming more and more of a mess."

Julie Smithies, of Melrose Avenue, is worried about the potential dangers to children playing on the estate.

"Children are losing decent friends because when they come up here they tell their mum what it's like and they won't let them play up here again."

A mother of four children aged between six and 15, who would not be named, added: "It's infested with rats and needles. We can't let the kids play in the back field because it's full of used condoms, needles and stray dogs. We pay rent and council tax and have to sit across and look at these houses."

A spokesman for Burnley and Padiham Community Housing said the company had kept all its promises, including keeping rents low while maintenance and repairs were carried out, such as installing central heating and new kitchens and bathrooms.

He said despite being invited to do so, none of Hargher Clough's residents had formed a tenants and residents' group to liaise with the company about problems.

"Perhaps the tenants of Melrose Avenue would like to make a start by forming their own group to stop residents from dumping rubbish in the area around the empty flats, which, according to Environmental Health, is the cause of rats.

"Residents need to take responsibility for their own lives by calling the council if they have rubbish that needs removing and alerting them to anyone dumping it in a nearby garden.

"The company relies on the residents and community to work with other agencies in identifying those on drugs, dealing drugs and responsible for discarding syringes in gardens."