HOUSING chiefs have promised a full inquiry following a catalogue of complaints about modernisation work to council homes. Angry tenants and councillors have joined forces to demand answers to a number of worrying questions about slipshod work and the way in which contracts are awarded. Another spate of work on the houses on Tarnsyke Road and the Newton Estate is due to start in a fortnight.

The city council's chief executive, David Corker, has promised that the council's internal auditor will carry out a full investigation into the complaints but pensioners' rights campaigner, Richard Grave, claims that isn't good enough.

He said: "I've written to Mr Corker, and said we would not be satisfied with an internal report. We want an outside body, such as the district auditor, to look at this."

Meanwhile Mr Fred Elliston, 70, of Tarnsyke Road said his wife, who suffers from heart trouble, had to be taken to hospital for a week as a result of stress caused by the endless work on their house. He continued: "We first got the letter that they were going to do work on these houses last December. It's going to be coming up to a year before all this is sorted out after they've done the remedial work.

"My wife has just come out of hospital and she's going to face all this yet another time. Our local councillor has apologised, but it's not his fault. I want this sorted out. What about all the council taxpayers' money that has gone to waste?"

Independent city councillor Carol Broad echoed Mr Elliston's concern. She said: "We've spoken to senior officers about it already and been informed that there is this internal investigation. We take these concerns very seriously."

The remedial work will begin on Tarnsyke Road in two weeks and on the Newton Estate when that work is finished.

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