PEOPLE have accused a council of withholding information about the amount of asbestos found in their houses.

Wear Valley District Council will hold a second information evening tonight to discuss the future of the Drury homes built on the St Andrew's Estate, in Bishop Auckland.

Tests were carried out on the 40-year-old houses and bungalows in two streets on the estate last year, after problems were found in similar steel-framed homes in the north-west of England.

The results revealed that the homes in Bishop Auckland contained asbestos and had structural problems.

Total repair bills for underpinning the homes and clearing the asbestos could reach £500,000, or more than £40,000 for each house.

On Tuesday, angry residents gathered at Taylor Road Community Centre to demand clarification of the situation. But those who attended branded the meeting a waste of time.

One tenant said she felt the council were keeping the truth from them and that there was more asbestos in the homes than people were led to believe.

A council spokesman said: "We have been open and honest and shared information with the residents to the best of our knowledge. We share the concern of the residents on the estate and fully understand how they feel.''

He said there would be consultation with the residents before a report was submitted to the council's housing committee.

A decision on what to do in the future could be expected in September.