NORTH Durham MP Kevan Jones is celebrating after the Government backed his tough stance on the rogue private landlords he says are running former mining communities into the ground.

The Home Office has issued a White Paper to tackle anti-social behaviour, that also looks at tighter regulations for landlords. Mr Jones has been campaigning for more controls on private landlords, who he feels are contributing to social problems in North-East communities.

He commissioned a report last year into the problems faced by the former mining villages of Craghead and Grange Villa, near Stanley.

He also went on walkabout in South Moor to meet residents whose lives were blighted by landlords who allowed properties to fall into disrepair or let them out to bad tenants.

"Landlords have failed to adequately maintain the properties, many have been boarded up or left in a poor condition," he said.

"This, along with the increased crime, drug dealing and threatening behaviour, has increasingly stigmatised those neighbourhoods.

"Falling house prices have attracted private landlords whose tenants are largely dependent on housing benefit.

"Many of these tenants stay for only short periods, some problematic tenants have caused significant property damage and increased criminal and anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood."

The new Home Office proposals will give local authorities the power to licence landlords, who will have to meet a strict set of standards in order to receive housing benefit payments.

Derwentside District Council has appointed two liaison officers to help improve relations between the council and private landlords.

Trevor Dixon, chairman of the Derwentside Private Landlords Association, said his members were already doing their utmost to keep properties in good condition and keep out the bad tenants responsible for anti-social behaviour.

"We are just an easy target," he said. "This is a much wider problem than just private landlords."

The mining villages report, carried out by Northumbria University, is available from Mr Jones' constituency office, on 0191-371 8834, or can be accessed on the website, www.kevanjonesmp.org.uk