CAGED crusader Chris Tague has vowed to stay locked in his home made prison cell - despite an offer of extra cash if he agrees to leave. Last week we revealed that Chris had moved into an enormous steel cage built inside his front room from scrap metal and iron bars. He took this drastic step in a deperate bid to avoid eviction after refusing to sell his house to Lancaster City Council.

Plans to build a new car park and children's play area on the site of Chris' Parliament Street home in Morecambe are being held up by the row.

But Chris is resolute that the council's offer of just £17,000 to buy his four-storey property is well below its true value.

Following the front page story in last week's Citizen, the council's valuer has now increased the offer to £25,000.

However, Chris remains unimpressed. "It's just a joke. This sum is just as ridiculous as the last.

"I've had my property valued at more than £55,000 - so there's no way I'm going to accept less than half of that amount.

Now he has refused to leave the reinforced wire cage to prevent council officers from bulldozing the house before his case is taken up by an independent Lands Tribunal.

"But," he added, "it's interesting that they have increased the amount now after two years of stalemate."

Lancaster Council's Chief Solicitor Mike Dudfield said the valuer would not comment on the timing of the new offer.

And he warned that Chris' sit-in protest would not influence the council's position or the outcome of a tribunal.

Chairman of the city's Housing Policy Committee Ian Barker said: "We do wish to avoid the unpleasantness of an eviction and will make every effort to agree terms."

But he declared the council had a confirmed Compulsory Purchase Order and would be requesting possession to be given up in early or mid February.

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