TENANTS making life hell for their neighbours were the biggest single cause of complaint for Blackburn Council's housing department.

They even had to employ private detectives to investigate and give evidence because decent occupants on some estates were too scared to testify.

But one pioneering step they took against nuisance neighbours earlier this year was to bring in terms for new tenants that, in effect, put them on probation for a year.

Elsewhere in East Lancashire, Pendle Council also adopted the policy.

It was launched in Blackburn by the town's MP Jack Straw who, when shadowing his present-day role as Home Secretary, was so concerned about the bad-neighbour problem that he proposed special behave-or-else legislation.

The scheme has won the backing of the courts and the police.

But, amazingly, we find Shelter, the national charity for the homeless, carping about the policy. It gives too much power to the town halls, it says. New tenants will not have the same rights as their neighbours. The powers could be abused to get rid of those behind with their rent. And so forth.

But when this liberal sentiment is boiled down, what does it amount to?

To us, it seems Shelter is suggesting that tenants tied to the new agreements - which they have freely entered into - should have the extra right to misbehave without any comeback.

Isn't that ridiculous?

We are sure that the town hall housing officials, who have hitherto been bombarded with complaints about neighbours from hell, have somewhat more everyday experience of the problem than a high-minded charity.

But what if these new tenancy agreements are strict, does it mean that they are also sinister?

We do not think so since those council tenants who do nothing wrong have nothing to fear from them.

And do not the decent majority who want to live in peace not have rights, too?

Why is it that the do-gooders have such a knack for casting a negative light on things done positively for the benefit of the majority?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.