IT WAS bad news for pensioners in 1982 when the council decided to sell off land on which they held their allotments - unless they coughed up £1000 each.

But Hubert Landless, who said the Brunswick Street allotments in Nelson were his 'reason for living' said the price tag was out of the question.

The 91-year-old said: "I am absolutely disgusted. We fought through two world wars for this country and now they come and tell us to get off this land that has been allotments all these years."

The land was earmarked for development but Mr Landless and his fellow allotment holders planned to fight every inch of the way to hold onto their ground.

A spokesperson for the council said: "The county has a statutory duty to achieve the best price reasonably obtainable in disposing of land which is surplus to requirement."