MORE than 100 houses on the Stoops and Hargher Clough estates in Burnley were boarded up because vandalism councillors were told.

Coun Gordon Birtwistle said the situation was so bad that some residents had approached the Department of the Environment for a right to manage arrangement for part of the estate.

In a personal attack on housing committee chairman, Coun Rafique Malik, Coun Birtwistle, Lib-Dem group leader, said: "I am led to believe you have not yet visited that estate where most of the problems have come about through the utter and inept incompetence you have offered to this committee as chairman."

Coun Malik said he had visited the estates twice and that he and the vice chairman were going on to the West End Estates Management Board to fill the vacancies until the elections. The decision had been taken earlier and he did not Coun Birtwistle to claim it was as a result of his criticism.

Labour leader, Coun Kath Reade, commented: "When people have no arguments they resort to personal attacks.

"It should be emphasised that we have 100 per cent confidence in Coun Malik as chairman of the housing committee. He is extremely competent.''

Coun Peter Kenyon accused Coun Birtwistle of pursuing a personal vendetta instead of contributing towards the solving of problems in the area he represented.

The row broke out when members of the housing committee were asked if they wanted to carry out an annual inspection of properties next year.

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