One single mum told the Knutsford Guardian this week how she had been on Macclesfield Borough Council's housing list for 14 years - without a single offer of a house.

"It is only in the past four years that I have started to really question the council," said the woman from Mobberley, who asked not to be named for fear of slipping further down the housing list.

"When I hear of a house coming free, I ring the council, only to find someone else has got it.

"I keep thinking If I don't stir them up then maybe this time I might be lucky."

It is a situation that worries the mother of a four-year-old child because she has already had to extend her short-term tenancy to April.

"The council are sitting tight on this," she said.

Last week, Clr Bert Grange told his town council colleagues that he was currently dealing with 14 complaints from town residents.

"The acting chief executive and director of housing have agreed to look at each complaint," he said.

"But I think that our whole housing department is in turmoil."

He said residents had complained about the way the borough determined who was most in need of a council house.

"There are some Knutsford-born people, pregnant, single people who can't get any sort of decent interview," he said.

"Everyone deserves to be heard and everyone deserves an interview."

Yesterday (Tuesday), Macclesfield Borough Council said the council followed an agreed method based on a points system for the allocation of all its properties.

"The details of this procedure, which follows national guidelines, are explained to all applicants, and people on the list may check their points score at any time," said a spokesman.

"It is also worth bearing in mind that there are only a small number of borough council-owned properties in Knutsford for which vacancies seldom occur and when they do, demand outstrips supply."