SQUATTERS have been evicted from a council house under new "fast track" legal moves.

For the first time, the local authority has used an interim possession order which means that squatters must leave within 24 hours.

If they refuse, they can be arrested and fined up to £5,000 or sent to jail for six months.

Bury housing chiefs served the order on a couple who were living in a council house in Goldfinch Drive, Bury. They have since left.

Councillor John Smith, housing spokesman, said the council would use such orders again if it thought necessary.

"While having a great deal of sympathy for those who find themselves without a roof over their head, we will not condone those who try to gain an advantage over others, such as in the case of squatters," he said.

"We have an obligation to protect our properties on behalf of the people of the borough, and ensure that our homes are available to those who have followed the correct procedures.

"Those procedures are in place to create a fair and transparent system, and we will not see them undermined."