ELDERLY tenants are threatening to stage a sit-in protest over council plans to launch a housing service right on their doorstep.

Residents along Harewood Road, Deepdale, are fearful that a proposed sub-housing office operating from the estate will attract people intent on stirring up trouble.

Now local councillor Terry Cartwright has teamed up with the tenants to organise a petition to lobby Preston council planners.

One possible site for the office is in a housing block -- a flat which has been left empty since Christmas.

Coun Cartwright said: "Surely, it's better to revamp this flat and rent it out to elderly folk rather than a housing office.

"The flat itself has central heating and double glazing fitted six months ago so, as I say, it's better to keep it for residents."

He added: "Another aspect to this is that the office will only be open two days a week -- from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

"Also, it's not an office that you can pay your rent or council tax at. In fact the only thing you can do is sign-ups." Coun Cartwright also highlighted the juvenile nuisance tenants have had to suffer in recent months.

"Elderly residents are scared that trouble will escalate once the housing office is established.

"So that's why I have firstly organised a petition, and secondly organised this sit-in.

"Hopefully, the council will sit up and take notice that people are against this proposal."

But Preston Borough Council's director of housing said: "We held a consultation process and the response was a strong tennant view that the office would be good. Seventy-two per cent voted for it.

"There may be some debate as to the location of the office, but it has not been decided where to have it yet.

"Deepdale is the only area of Preston where we don't have an office and we use them to get closer to tenants and for tenants to be able to reach us easily.

"The majority of people requesting housing are already council tenants and I don't believe they are troublemakers."