RESIDENTS living near run-down flats are demanding urgent action to get the properties demolished.

The flats, which are above a row of derelict shops in Calderbrook Avenue, off Manchester Road, Burnley, have been the subject of complaints from neighbours for years because of their poor condition and the anti-social behaviour the buildings attract.

Muriel Tew, 59, of Calderbrook Avenue, said the site had been dragging the neighbourhood down for years and it was time for action.

Muriel suggested the council should use a compulsory purchase order to buy the properties so they could be demolished and new houses built.

She said: "The building is completely hideous and a derelict eyesore. There is a good community spirit round here and people like living here, apart from the flats. Whenever you pull back the curtains you are faced with that dreadful sight.

"The problem has been going on for years now and we keep getting our hopes up that something will be done and then they are dashed again. It is so bad that it is affecting people's health.

"This has to be solved and as quickly as possible. A compulsory purchase order would seem the most sensible policy, so that the building can be demolished and new housing put up."

Coalclough with Deerplay ward councillor Philip Horrocks, who lives in Calderbrook Avenue, said: "These flats are more like Baghdad than Burnley and something needs to be done. I would like to see the council pull the whole lot down."

Fellow ward councillor Charles Bullas added: "These flats have been a thorn in my side and the side of the residents for the last five years. I have been fighting to get something done ever since I joined the council and I'll continue fighting."

A Burnley Borough Council spokesman said: "We are currently pursuing two possible ways forward to try and solve this long-running problem.

"Firstly we are trying to contact the various owners to see whether they are willing to sell by agreement to allow the site to be redeveloped. Secondly, and if the first option fails, we are taking preliminary steps towards seeking a compulsory purchase order to buy the building. That entails surveying the building to assess the state of the flats.

"We have already carried out external inspections, but we need to gain access to the flats to do internal ones too. We are trying to get agreement from the owners but may have to serve formal notice to gain access."

The police said they were aware of the problems in Calderbrook Avenue and have made arrests which have led to convictions for drug-related offences in recent years.