RESIDENTS in Ferryhill Station are calling on Prime Minister Tony Blair to step in and take action to save it.

The people of Ferryhill Station are calling for action from their local MP to help turn around the fortunes of their village, and held a public meeting attended by the Prime Minister's agent, Councillor John Burton.

They used the meeting, held in the Eldon Arms on Tuesday night, as a forum to air their grievances over housing, anti-social behaviour, vandalism, litter and crime.

It emerged from the meeting that because of these problems, the "Rows" area of the village currently has less than 42 per cent occupancy.

Resident Andy Bain said: "It's like a ghost town in the Rows. Our street, Haig Street, used to be the best for the amount of people still living there, but that's not saying much now, it doesn't have any competition.

"From the 143 properties in the rows, 84 are empty and there are only 60 occupied."

The full scale of the problem was shown at its worst in Trafalgar Street where only four of the 26 properties had anyone living in them.

Coun Burton also heard of problems with anti-social behaviour and youth crime.

Councillor Brian Avery, who chaired the meeting, said: "The problems started when a few bad tenants were brought in by landlords and by housing association Three Rivers.

"These people were being brought in from outside the area and causing all sorts of problems and making people's lives hell here. Although landlords and Three Rivers are now working to stop bad tenants coming in, and many of the old bad tenants have left, we are left with a remnant of them up there."

A survey was recently conducted on the future of Ferryhill Station, with one option including demolition of some of the rows. The results of the survey are due in September.

Coun Burton asked people at the meeting what they would like in an ideal world.

Resident Neil Appleby of Chapel Row, said: "I think I speak for all of us when I say we would just like a decent quality of life, something we haven't had in years."

Coun Burton promised to pass the villagers' concerns to Mr Blair.

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