RESIDENTS whose homes have been earmarked for demolition insist they are not behind death threats sent to councillors.

As reported by The Northern Echo this week, several Middlesbrough councillors have been sent letters - one embellished with hand-drawn headstones - cautioning them against voting for the demolition of up to 1,500 Victorian terraced houses in 37 streets in central Middlesbrough.

Muriel Birt, a member of the Gresham Residents Committee, suspects trouble-makers from outside the area are responsible for the letters.

She said: "We had a meeting last night and were really upset about these threats, which have nothing to do with people in this area. We would want to distance ourselves from such a thing.

"Our campaign is to save our homes. We are not intimidating councillors. It is the council which is intimidating us - telling us we can't stop them, but if we refuse to sell, they will slap a compulsory purchase order on our home.

"We are supposed to live in a democracy,'' said Mrs Birt, who owns a house in Enfield Street, in the intended demolition zone.

"We just want to save our homes. I have lived in my home for 25 years and, as the only wage earner, I am not in a position to buy another house and take on a mortgage."

Ward councillors are calling in the decision - made by Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon and the council executive - to be investigated by the council's own scrutiny committee.

Mr Mallon told a meeting of the executive this week that many of the houses in the Gresham ward did not meet the Decency Home Standard, which all councils must meet by 2010.