THE parents of a family dubbed the worst neighbours in Britain by Shadow Home Secretary Jack Straw are urging local people - vote Labour!

Blackburn's Labour MP highlighted Family X - the Liddles - as a nightmare to live near in 1995, when he unveiled proposals to deal with crooks and thugs who wrecked their neighbourhoods.

But John and Margaret Liddle now proudly display a "vote Labour" General Election poster in the front window of their rented home on Saunders Road, Blackburn.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that the Liddle's sons - Peter, Eric, John and Kevin - were arrested more than 50 times by Blackburn police between December 1991 and May 1994.

The family have been banned from council houses and Eric was barred from the town hall and other council buildings last July after throwing a sofa out of a 12th floor window at Alexandra House flats.

But the brothers have not caused police any major problems for several months and, although they do not live permanently with their parents, they are still seen in the area occasionally.

And after being moved on from a string of houses because of their family's behaviour, parents John and Margaret Liddle have managed to keep the same address for the last two years. When his family were labelled nightmare neighbours, John Liddle said: "I don't tell them to go out and break somebody's window or do a burglary.

"I was brought up to obey the law but I can't control big lads."

When told of the poster, Mr Straw said: "I can only assume that they support my approach on law and order, including our proposals to deal with anti-social neighbours."

Speaking outside her home, Margaret Liddle said: "I've been a Labour supporter all of my life. I have nothing to be ashamed of."

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