A TERRIFIED 87-year-old woman was cited in the House of Commons as an example of the need to spend millions revamping East Lancashire's Housing.

Burnley Labour MP Peter Pike who said that in East Lancashire there were 225,000 privately owner properties, half built before 1919 with a quarter -- 52,000 -- unfit for human habitation and a similar number is serious disrepair.

Burnley had 3,500 empty homes and he said government cash to clear derelict areas and to upgrade poor homes was vital.

Mr Pike told Ministers in the debate on the Queen's Speech: "This is a nightmare as we can see from the dereliction and other problems that are created.

"An old lady of 87 came to me. She has lived in her house for 50 years and she is absolutely terrified because every property in her block is now empty. There have been three fires in adjacent properties and there are drug addicts around.

"People have to pay council tax on properties they cannot sell because, with 3,500 empty homes, the council cannot be flexible.

"This is a major problem for areas such as mine. There is nobody to live in these houses. Nobody wants them. There is no value in them if they are demolished.

"People who are trying to sell such houses say their best offer so far is £1,200 or perhaps £4,000. One could buy almost a whole estate of empty houses in Burnley for the price of one property in London.''

Mr Pike, who is meeting Burnley Councillors and housing officials on the problem next Friday, said four districts in East Lancashire were among the eight nationally with the worst housing deprivation according to official statistics said more than £600 million of government money was needed to tackle the problem -- £150 million in Burnley alone.

He said the only option was the "difficult'' one of clearance. Mr Pike said government cash and help was needed to decide which homes came down and to provide for the renewal and repair of both areas cleared of homes and those properties left standing.