PROTESTING residents held a candlelit vigil last night to mark the passing of a once-thriving community.

St Hilda's in Middlesbrough, has been earmarked for demolition, to be absorbed into the town's £500m Middlehaven flagship redevelopment of Middlesbrough's old dockland.

Resident Henry Woodier claims the council is allowing the area to run down.

"We pay our taxes, so why aren't we getting the same as everyone else in the town?" he asked.

Middlesbrough Council says it is offering owner-occupiers left in the neighbourhood full market value, as well as offering up to £20,000 towards buying another house, home loss and relocation payments.

Mr Woodier's wife, Maureen, said: "We want a house for a house - or we don't move."

Councillor David Budd, executive member for regeneration with Middlesbrough Council, rejects claims the neighbourhood is being deliberately run down.

He said council officials had dealt with a total of nearly 800 complaints, ranging from noise nuisance to stray dogs, in the area in the past year.

Coun Budd said: "Living in an area where demolition is going on is never easy and we have every sympathy with the people still in St Hilda's. If people are tipping rubbish or carrying out anti-social activity there, then we will do all we can to catch them and prosecute them.

"But it is simply not true to suggest services have been scaled down in any way. In fact, extra services are being provided to try to do all we can to give people a decent quality of life."

More than 100 people have so far moved out of former council houses at St Hilda's.

"Most of the 22 households left have agreed a move and are waiting for the right property to come up," Coun Budd said.

"We have negotiated to buy around half the 78 privately-owned homes in the area. If they don't want to buy another house, we will help to rehouse them in the area of their choice.

"We are continuing to work as quickly as we can to complete the purchase of properties in the St Hilda's area."

Residents from St Hilda's were last night joined by sympathisers from the Gresham area of the town where streets face demolition.