RESIDENTS have vowed not to give in to council plans to destroy their homes.

Concerns are being raised on Middlesbrough St Hilda's estate that compulsory purchase orders are to be issued to bulldoze their property.

Middlesbrough Council and regeneration company Tees Valley Regeneration have decided to include the area as part of the £500m Middlehaven development.

Surveyors have carried out property valuations on the estate ahead of the redevelopment. The population of St Hilda's is about 300. There are 279 houses, but 89 are empty.

Harry Brown, the former chairman of the residents' association, has vowed not to move.

He said: "There has been newsletters from the council going through people's letterboxes saying that compulsory purchase orders are an option.

"I have not had one, but I would not even let a surveyor in my home. The fact is you can only have a compulsory purchase order if the case is watertight. It cannot be for just any reason, but because somewhere is derelict or dangerous or something like that.

"I am told the council want to pay between £18,000 or £23,000 for a home, but I would value my house at £100,000.

"The council has allowed this area to become rundown and it is not what we pay our council tax for."

Mr Brown said a number of people wanted the Tower Green area of St Hilda's to be kept as it is.

Other residents, including Terry Dixon, who has won an award for community work on the estate, and Henry Woodier, have repeatedly said they do not want to move.

No one was available from Middlesbrough Council to comment last night, but Mayor Ray Mallon has held a number of public meetings in the area arguing the Middlehaven development would improve the town.

The authority has always said it wished to co-operate with residents.