BURNLEY has been hit by an explosion of noise neighbour problems.

This was revealed by the town's MP at Westminster during a debate on housing.

Burnley Labour MP Peter Pike said the problem was not restricted to council estates. "I am told, in writing and by those who visit my advice bureau that the problem is on the increase," he said.

"It is a sign of the times and it now affects many areas of Burnley.

"It may be easy to control it by means of legislation applied to council estates, but we should ensure that those living elsewhere can also lead peaceful lives."

Mr Pike was welcoming the proposals in the Government's Housing Bill, which would give local authorities increased powers to evict and ban disruptive tenants. But Labour wants to see wider powers to deal with noisy and badly-behaved neighbours in all kinds of housing under plans put forward by Shadow Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw.

Mr Pike went on to bitterly criticise the Government for exporting homelessness from London and the big cities to Burnley. He said that in 1979 there was 8,649 local authority homes started by the North West, but last year there were just three.

In 1979 Burnley Council had a surplus of houses and no waiting list. Now there is a shortage and a lengthy waiting list.

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice has said that houses in East Lancashire are still in the middle of a slump.

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