HOUSING chiefs in Chester-le-Street have hit out at suggestions they are being forced to keep homes empty for asylum seekers.

The Northern Echo has reported that at least 100 North-East council homes are standing empty after the predicted flood of asylum seekers failed to materialise.

However, Chester-le-Street District Council's housing department said it is still in talks with the Home Office and has not set a single house aside for foreign nationals.

Councils across the region, which say they were obliged to sign agreements with the Home Office to provide refugee accommodation, are furious that the homes are not being put to use.

Wear Valley District Council is planning to bill the Government for the thousands of pounds it has cost to keep the houses in repair and available to asylum seekers.

The leader of Derwentside District Council has also warned that if asylum seekers do not arrive soon, it will put its homes back on the general waiting list. However, Brian O'Doherty, director of housing at Chester-le-Street council says they have not been pressurised by the Home Office to keep council houses empty.

Mr O'Doherty said that negotiations with the Government department are still taking place and none of County Durham's other seven district councils is obliged to take on asylum seekers.

He said: "Contract negotiations have started with the Home Office and they are still ongoing. We have not yet agreed a contract price with the Government and we do not intend to identify houses.

"There are no houses standing empty in Chester-le-Street for this purpose."

It has been reported that a consortium of district councils in County Durham signed contacts with the National Asylum Support Service, a Home Office department, as far back as September last year.

Under the terms of the contract, they agreed to find a set amount of properties for their allocation of refugees. But no one has yet arrived.