COWBOY workmanship has been carried out on former council houses being renovated by Burnley and Padiham Housing, councillors have been told.

Independent group leader Harry Brooks has said there is deep dissatisfaction with some of the improvement work being carried out by the company's contractors.

Upheaval in people's homes has dragged on and there was clear evidence of shoddy workmanship, he said in a scathing attack on the company's performance in its first four months since taking over Burnley's entire 5,300-home stock.

He told the council: "To say the work is of cowboy calibre would be too flattering."

And he blasted the company's decision to raise rents by up to 200 per cent to new tenants -- after promising to hold rents for newcomers to a one-off 20 per cent increase.

He declared it was already clear the company had no intention of keeping faith with promises it made to Burnley and Padiham.

He said there were many more examples of huge rent increases, adding: "What we have here is a massive con job."

Coun Brooks gave notice he would call for a full debate on the company's performance at the next full meeting of the council to "get to the nitty-gritty" of what was going on. Labour leader Stuart Caddy said he, too, was aware of problems surrounding the company's performance and representations would be made.

Independent Andrew Holder also drew attention to complaints he had received over work standards in the Brunshaw area and Coun Andrew Rae, a plumber, expressed concern after seeing jobs, that some contractors were not properly skilled.

Coun Brooks said: "All of this is early confirmation that that this housing company has been saddled with a third rate management."

The company is carrying out more than £6million of improvements and repairs to council houses this year alone -- many times more than the council itself could raise.

Company chief executive Ian Saville said that while there had been a 200 per cent rent rise for new tenants entering a small minority of very low-cost houses on the company's books, rises on high rent accommodation had been frozen and the overall effect was in line with the company's 20 per cent promise.

A spokesman for Burnley and Padiham Housing said: "While we welcome comments from councillors in bringing complaints to our attention, we find it surprising that customers should complain to councillors before contacting us, especially if they consider the problem to be a matter of safety. As a responsible organisation we are able to rectify problems and answer tenants' queries first hand."

He added the company would be making a fuller response to the council comments tomorrow.