ANGRY residents say allotment tenants are abusing their plots and the council will not do anything about it.

George Eastwood, of Laverick Terrace, Annfield Plain, near Stanley, says he has been campaigning for a year to get rid of a scrapyard on allotments in nearby Morrison Road.

"They are an absolute disgrace," he said.

"There is a scrapyard and a builder's yard on there and they are only supposed to be garden allotments."

He accused the landowner, Derwentside District Council, of turning a blind eye.

"It seems to me they are prepared to take anybody on to their sites, just to increase their revenue," he said.

He has made an official complaint to the council, saying that he has raised these issues with allotment officers and they have done nothing about it.

He has also written to the Audit Commission, claiming there are financial irregularities in how the district council runs its allotments.

Mike Bonser, the authority's corporate administrator, said: "There are some garages on the Morrison Road site, but they are not part of the allotment gardens.

"As far as the other issues are concerned, we have had a complaint about the management of our allotment sites in general.

"This is something that we take very seriously and we are attempting to respond to the several inquiries Mr Eastwood has made."