COUNCIL tenants in Middlesbrough are being asked this week to consider plans to privatise their homes.

The town's Labour-run council has been given the go-ahead by the Government to put forward proposals for transferring its housing stock into private ownership.

Today and tomorrow, residents can attend meetings to find out more about the four options available for the authority's 13,500 properties.

The options for the council are: to transfer the stock to a new or existing registered social landlord; to enter into a partnership with a private company to provide extra resources for improving houses; to transfer the houses to an "arms length" company run by the council; or to keep the council as sole landlord.

Middlesbrough's commissioner for regeneration, Councillor John Jones, said: "These meetings will consider some very important matters about the future of council housing in Middlesbrough. It's vital that tenants come along and find out more. This directly concerns their future and that of their families."

Today's meeting is between noon and 6pm at the Neptune Centre, Berwick Hills and tomorrow's meeting is between 10.30am and 4.30pm at the Church of St John of God pastoral centre, Cass House Road, Hemlington.