BURNLEY Council's leader admitted to residents at a public meeting: "Burnley is going down the tubes, I couldn't agree more."

Coun Gordon Birtwistle, who took on the role in May, blamed his political predecessors, saying his Liberal Democrat administration had inherited a "mess" 30 years in the making.

His comments came days after a Burnley Council report revealed the town's housing market had not seen the same benefits of the house-price boom as neighbouring towns.

Jobs too are being shed at an alarming rate with the total number of manufacturing jobs to go topping 3,000 in the last few years, although council bosses claim they have created around 1,000 new jobs.

Coun Birtwistle was speaking at a packed public meeting in Gannow Community Centre, Adamson Street, in which fed-up residents said they were prepared to take the law into their own hands over yobs and drug dealers.

Faced with intense and angry questioning about an apparent lack of police and council action over the problems in Gannow, Coun Birtwistle said: "People are saying Burnley is going down the tubes, I couldn't agree more.

"We have only been on the executive for three months, we have inherited a mess that has taken 30 years to do."

After the meeting, Coun Birtwistle stood by his comments, but said plenty was being done to improve the situation.

He said: "It took the Labour party 30 years to create the problem.

"We are doing our best to reverse it but we've only had three months. Things are improving."

But Coun Andy Tatchell, Labour group leader, said it was unfair to lay blame on his party which had run the council for decades.

He added: "Burnley is on the verge of major regeneration projects, whichever part of town you want to look at.

"We are heavily engaged in the Elevate programme.

"It was all canvassed and decided through the Labour party.

"They have been left in a position where it has a very very promising future."

Coun Peter Doyle, Conservative group leader, said: "As far as I am concerned the present executive is doing everything it can to improve the situation.

"As far as employment prospects are concerned we are working with the various other agencies and partners to do what we can to improve that situation but of course a local council can only do so much."