PROTESTERS have vowed to step up their fight against the proposed Wargrave estate housing transfer after demonstrating outside a show home.

Eighty tenants voiced their objections at a rally in Oak Avenue, claim TUC organisers, adding weight to the Vote No campaign in the upcoming ballot on the transfer.

TUC spokesman Glen Voris said: "It went extremely well - there were lots of speeches from marchers supporting us and against the privatisation of these homes."

Campaigners are launching another leaflet drive targeting householders and plan to tour the estate with loudhailers to get their message across to the undecided.

But their most controversial move will come on the day ballot papers are issued to residents next Monday.

The protest movement is calling on tenants to take "glitzy" brochures supporting the switch and hand them over for a symbolic burning on the estate. Members of the Union of Construction and Allied Technical Trades still fear any housing stock transfer will lead to job losses for maintenance staff, a claim strongly denied by the borough council.

Town Hall chiefs insist that millions of pounds earmarked for repairs, if the houses are handed over to Maritime Housing Association and a newly-created Trees Community Housing Association, could be lost if householders decide to reject the transfer plans.

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