LIBERAL Democrat councillors have been accused of giving residents in 150 doomed homes 'false hope' they could be saved.

Coun Kate Hollern, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, slammed members of Darwen's Liberal Democrat group for 'playing political football with people's emotions'.

She hit out after backbench councillors called in her executive board's decision to demolish homes in Redearth Road area of Darwen, part of the East Lancashire-wide Elevate regeneration scheme.

At the meeting, backbench councillors heard reasons why residents felt the decision was wrong, based on poor consultation and incorrect estimates for how much it would cost to repair the threatened houses.

But members of the sustainable communities scrutiny committee decided not to order a rethink on the scheme, instead agreeing the executive had made the right decision but criticising confusing phrases used in the consultation process.

That prompted 30 residents at the meeting to heckle councillors and officers as they left the town hall, having repeatedly interrupted the meeting with barracking.

Several told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph they thought the committee had the power to overturn the decision and their homes could have been saved there and then.

Coun Hollern said: "I know what these people are going through and what really upsets me is the way their emotions are being used as a political football by the Lib Dems. They gave the residents false hope and the reaction at the meeting was totally understandable."

Lib Dem councillor Karimeh Foster attended the meeting, sat with public and was rebuked by the committee chairman for trying to lobby members of the committee before a decision was made.

She said: "We are fighting for the residents. We haven't done anything wrong."

The residents now plan to fight the pending compulsory purchase orders on their properties via a public inquiry.