FAMILIES were furious when a vagrant set up home in an abandoned car.

The K-reg Rover found a new female owner, who moved in with all her belongings in plastic bags.

Friends even brought her house-warming gifts of alcohol and food as she held an impromptu moving-in party.

Her new des res, which had a watertight roof, velour seating and wind-down windows, had been dumped by thieves in Newcastle's West End.

But her new neighbours demanded the car be towed away and contacted their local councillor to help them.

Councillor Nick Forbes contacted Newcastle City Council, and the car was removed within hours and the woman had to move on.

Coun Forbes is now demanding to know why it took weeks to remove, but council bosses say residents were complaining to the wrong authorities.

Coun Forbes said: "This car was in the back lane for almost three weeks.

"Residents complained and nothing was done. They contacted me and I made a phone call and the car was taken away soon after on the same day. The question is, why did it take so long?"

A city council spokesman said a resident had requested for the car to be removed, but it appears they had initially contacted police and not the council.

He said: "The complaint had been to the police and not the council.

"They had faxed us with complaints, but, for some reason, the first one that got through to us was received on the morning of September 8. The order to remove the vehicle went out at 3pm the same day."