RESIDENTS have praised a council's housing department.

Repair workers and officials working for Middlesbrough Borough Council have won a vote of confidence from tenants, who returned completed questionnaires.

Survey forms were sent out to more than 3,000 council tenants, but only a third replied.

Of those replies, 91 per cent were satisfied with the attitude of the workers from the repairs service, 83 per cent were happy with repairs carried out and 85 per cent satisfied with the time taken to complete a repair.

And 86 per cent of tenants registered satisfaction with their home while 89 per cent thought advice and rent payment facilities were good.

Councillor John Jones, Middlesbrough Council's Commissioner for Regeneration said: "Our housing staff can take a great deal of encouragement from the tenants' verdict.