A NO pets policy could be adopted in sheltered housing schemes across the Ribble Valley after tenants voted overwhelmingly against allowing cats and dogs in.

A secret ballot of more than 150 tenants at Park House, Towneley House, Showley Court, Vale House, Littlemoor House, Pendle Court and St Anne's Court showed 128 favoured a ban.

Ribble Valley Borough Council housing committee will decide what course of action to take at its meeting on Thursday night.

Councillors will be asked to adopt a policy of no cats or dogs in sheltered accommodation with communal facilities.

But tenants who already have pets would be allowed to keep them.

A report to councillors says that only 28 residents balloted were in favour cats and dogs being allowed in sheltered accommodation. The ballot was set up after a meeting 18 months ago when wardens, council officers and councillors discussed how to increase numbers of applicants seeking sheltered accommodation.

The report says: "Included in the suggestions was that applicants moving into sheltered accommodation should be allowed to bring their cat or dog with them for the remainder of that animal's life.

"It was felt that if adopted, the policy would reduce the number of refusals from applicants with pets who faced rehoming their animals before being in a position to accept an offer of accommodation."

But at a tenants' meeting last November, residents raised concerns about dog fouling of common areas, disturbance from dogs barking, residents becoming too infirm to care for pets and animals creating a health and safety risk to less mobile tenants.

The policy will be reviewed, in consultation with residents, in future years.