A GROUP of residents were so sick of having to look at a run-down eyesore in their street that they gave it a makeover.

Instead of broken glass and wooden boards on the outside of a terrace house in Newcastle's West End, local people now see curtains and flower pots.

But the facelift is only an illusion, created by neighbours.

The unsightly boards have been painted to give the impression of curtains, plant pots, a brass number on the door - and even a cat lazing on a window sill.

The name and address of the owner of the house in Fenham, Newcastle, have been displayed on a board so residents can complain to him about the property.

The murals are the work of the Street Forum, a group of neighbours and artists demanding that the city's landlords maintain their properties in a reasonable condition.

Fiona Connor, 25, from the forum, said: "The message is loud and clear. Local residents are not prepared to put up with houses being left derelict any longer and want to shame landlords into action, as well as showing how much we care about the area.

"The state this house was in is exactly the kind of thing which has given the West End of Newcastle a bad reputation.

"The house has been empty for at least four years, boarded up with slates falling off, and glass in the front yard.