PEOPLE living on two troubled estates in the Wear Valley night have to be rehoused if a decision is taken to demolish their homes.

A hundred houses and 20 bungalows on the St Andrew's Road Estate, Bishop Auckland, will most likely be demolished after they were found to contain asbestos.

Homes on old and new estates in St Helen Auckland also look likely candidates for demolition.

For people living on the St Andrew's Road Estate, the decision, which is expected to be made by Wear Valley District Council's Housing Services Committee tonight, will put an end to 18 months of uncertainty.

One resident, who bought her home from the council, said it could spell the end of months of worry.

She said: "I have heard that the houses will probably be demolished. I think deep down everyone knew they would have to come down. I don't think the council had any choice. I am hoping that they will give me a reasonable price for my property, I cannot afford to go to a new home in debt."

People living in St Helen Auckland and on the St Andrew's Estate have been consulted by the council, which has carried out surveys.

To repair the homes on the St Andrew's Estate would have cost more than £3.27m because of specialist work needed to deal with asbestos.

People in St Helen Auckland have vowed to fight if the council decides on demolition.

Chairman of the St Helen's Residents' Association, Kevin Graham, said its members were upset by the decision.

He said: "We are opposed to any demolition. We actually put forward an alternative plan but although the council said it had merit it was illegal because of constraints from Government.''

But the council said that estates in the village were suffering from low demand, resulting in high levels of vandalism and maintenance was becoming a growing burden on the community and council finances.