MONEY is to be earmarked to complete the purchase of houses in a run-down street - so they can be demolished.

Chapel Row in Ferryhill Station is to be completely cleared and landscaped by Sedgefield Borough Council.

Most of the houses in the street are empty and in a poor state of repair. A study to identify how to deal with the problem came up with demolition as the preferred option.

Gladys Hall, of the Ferryhill Station and Chilton Ward Residents' Association, said: "We are pleased the council has taken this on board.

"Nearly every window in the empty houses on that street has been broken and the yards are in a shocking state.

"It's a shame, but it has to come down. All we want is for people to be safe and happy and to live in a place they love again. We want it to get back to what it used to be."

"We want to make sure the tenants who are still there get a fair deal and are looked after, because some of them are too elderly to be buying new houses."

The council said it will cost about £250,000 to buy the properties, which are all in private ownership, knock them down and landscape the area.

The borough's cabinet, which meets on Thursday, will be asked to allocate £50,000 from this year's budget to start buying the houses and to commit a further £200,000 next year.