ANGRY residents rolled up their sleeves to remove the mud stains which are blighting their estate - and shame the council into action.

For householders on Burnley's problem-plagued Stoops estate, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's front-page photograph of mud-bombed and boarded up property was the last straw.

They formed a bucket and brush brigade and went on to the attack- cleaning off dried-on mud from the Rome Avenue houses which epitomised their plight.

After months of fruitless appeals, the house-proud residents are hoping their work will trigger the council into declaring war on vandals and troublemakers and into cleaning up the area.

One said: "It is only a small minority who are spoiling things for everyone.

"We want to be proud of our estate and attract decent, hard-working families to it - rather than to see them moving out."

She added: "Our housing estate could be made into a decent, clean area where our children could be safe, but we need the council's help - not in six months' or a year's time, but now."

Householders say the atmosphere on the estate is tense and while the police are aware of youth intimidation and daily house thefts, too often their hands are tied.

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