ABOUT six months ago an elderly Burtonwood council house tenant went into Warrington Hospital.

The family had occupied the same house for generations, in fact it was continuously occupied by them for 62 years, 1939-2001.

Theirs was a big family and unfortunately as they grew older a series of deaths over a short period of time ensued leaving just one sister as the tenant.

When the aforementioned tenant went into hospital the family assumed that she would be resuming occupation of the house once she was able to do so.

Unfortunately it was not to be as the woman died on January 14.

Approximately four years ago her brother, who was the tenant at the time, died. Just before his death forms were obtained from the council to enable the house to be bought, the forms were duly signed and witnessed and consequently submitted to the council.

Several months went by and upon inquiring the family was told that the forms had been lost by the council, leaving my elderly relative as tenant instead of owner. However when repairs to the property where requested over the phone some 12 months later the woman was told that they could not be done because according to their records she was listed as buying the property.

Obviously because her brother had since died new forms could hardly be signed.

The family would have liked to have the opportunity to buy the house but by this time the woman was too ill even to contemplate signing anything.

In view of the fact that the family had paid full rent on the property for 62 years and that Warrington Borough Council had lost their original application to buy, one would have thought that they at least had a moral responsibility to offer the property for sale or rent to any surviving brother or sister of the family still living in Burtonwood council property.

I know that legally the council may be entitled to do as they wish with the property, but after such a long time in one family it seems a mean-spirited way for a council to treat such loyal tenants.

There is evidence from other council residents in the area that their 'Right to Buy' forms have also been lost by WBC.

In the light of this would it not be prudent to ask how many other Warrington residents have had their applications to buy council property misplaced or lost?

NAME and address supplied