MORE plans to demolish homes across an entire district of County Durham have been announced.

Dozens of mainly derelict council houses have been knocked down already by Derwentside District Council, while plans to destroy dozens more are in the pipeline.

It has now been revealed that council officers are looking at two more unnamed estates with a view to continuing their demolition programme.

The council's scheme to destroy mainly derelict homes is designed to reduce maintenance costs for empty properties, which amount to more than £100,000 a year.

Councillors also hope the programme will help regenerate troubled estates by reducing vandalism and improving the image of the area.

So far, 18 homes in Hamsterley and 16 in Dipton have been knocked down, and there are plans to destroy a further 20 in Leadgate, and 30 in South Stanley.

Councillors will discuss plans to level another 20 homes in Burnhope on Monday, and officers will look at extending the programme to a further two more estates.

Leader of Derwentside District Council Alex Watson said: "There has to be overwhelming support or we won't do it. What happens is youngsters get into these empty homes and there are vandalism problems.

"That costs money to sort out and makes life hard for the good people on the estates. This is the most effective solution."

Chairman of the Derwentside Residents' Federation, Allan Harley, said: "I first thought this approach was a negative move, but the unfortunate fact is that there are places where people just don't want to live.

"People I speak to in places where this has happened do complain about areas being left as a wasteland. That is what I would want the council to ensure doesn't happen."

Residents in homes due to be knocked down, usually to prevent houses becoming isolated, receive £1,500 displacement costs. Owner occupiers negotiate individual prices with the council.

Meanwhile, nearly 4,000 new homes have been built by private companies in the district during the past 20 years.