DIRECT labour workers who were barred from tendering for a £2m maintenance contract staged an angry protest in front of housing managers.

Twenty Wear Valley District Council workers demonstrated outside a board meeting of private management company Dale and Valley Homes on Tuesday night.

The workforce, the council's in-house team, were excluded from a shortlist of seven companies invited to tender for a five-year contract to look after Wear Valley's 4,600 council homes.

Trades unions Unison and Ucatt have called for a review of the process, which was contracted out to Norfolk consultants LMC Partnership.

Workers said they felt cheated because they had worked hard to help the council earn two stars from inspectors and qualify for £27m in extra grants towards meeting the Decent Homes standards.

They asked why their first round bid failed but were told the information could not be disclosed.

Dale and Valley Homes director of development Amanda Senior said: "Wear Valley business unit did not rank to go forward with the contract and we cannot disclose why this happened because of the legal processes involved.

"The workforce will continue with their current jobs and we are fully aware that they have excellent track record as local employees."

The jobs of the 50 workers affected will be transferred to the successful company.

Ms Senior said: "We will try our hardest to make sure their transfers are the same as previous ones."

Ray Sanderson, of Ucatt, said: "We haven't got anywhere in this meeting at all. We keep going backwards and forwards and they say they can't tell us why we failed, which is very unfair.

"All the workers are very disappointed at the situation as they feel they were good enough to get the two stars but not good enough to go any further."

Dale and Valley Homes chairman Norman Button said: "Despite the disappointment of the workers, I am delighted with the response of this meeting as they got the chance to air their views in a reasonable and fair manner.

"I can understand why they feel angry but we have to operate under the rules and offer best value."