WHITEFIELD residents staging regular protests against the development of Nelson West and this week marked the halfway point in their campaign.

They gathered outside Nelson town hall with banners and placards in a bid stop their homes being compulsory purchased by the council.

Campaigners were informed at a meeting with the chief executive Stephen Barnes that the decision had been taken at full council and that areas of the Whitefield ward would be demolished and the remainder improved.

The public consultation period will end in four weeks, on April 16, and chairman of Whitefield residents' committee, Ghulam Rasool, has already threatened to go on hunger strike on April 9 if the situation remains the same.