A LEADING councillor has attacked his local authority for not doing enough to help a deprived estate in his ward.

Wear Valley district councillor Sonny Douthwaite believes the Leazes Lane estate in St Helen Auckland is "going from bad to worse" and has spoken out in a desperate bid to get action.

More than 20 per cent of houses on the estate are empty and boarded up, with many people said to be left feeling like prisoners in their own homes because they are too afraid to venture out.

Coun Douthwaite, who also serves on the county council, said people wanted to leave because of drugs, vandalism, youths and state of the houses.

"Neither the police or the council seem to be listening, but if they don't do anything about it, it will only get worse," he said.

"Something needs to be done to give people back their quality of life. The only way to solve the situation is either to pull it down or fully refurbish it."

He also expressed concern that a mini-police station on the estate, which was opened last month, never appeared to be manned.

Rosemary Archibald, 49, has had most of her windows smashed by youths - most recently last Friday, when a brick came through her bedroom window and cut her arm.

"You daren't go out of your own homes. It's bedlam around here, especially on a night," she said.

Barbara Dargue, 53, who has lived on the estate for 14 years, said: "Night after night there's trouble. It's continuous."

Council leader Olive Brown said it was "a very difficult situation," but that the authourity was doing everything it could to combat the problems.

It is in the process of submitting a bid for Government housing cash to improve the estate and looking at options such as partnerships with housing associations.

Inspector George Osborne, of Bishop Auckland police, said the latest figures showed youth disorder and criminal damage on the estate were falling.

"The idea is not for officers to be in the mini-station all the time. It's manned whenever we can. That does not mean there are not officers covering that area," said Insp Osborne