BOLTON'S housing chiefs lobbied MPs at Westminster about "nuisance neighbours" plans which were due to be unveiled by the Government today.

They were angry that the proposals were targeted at council tenants and did not give them powers to get rid of other anti-social neighbours.

The team from Bolton was part of a Greater Manchester lobby which travelled to London yesterday and lobbied 46 MPs from all parties. Housing chairman, Labour Cllr Brian Iddon, led the group which also included vice chairman Labour Cllr Noel Spencer, Tory housing spokesman Cllr Colin Higson, and deputy director of housing Satwant Singh.

Cllr Iddon said: "This legislation does not include nuisance neighbours in housing association schemes or owner occupiers.

"We want powers to deal with anti-social behaviour anywhere.

"The legislation also needs to be effective. People should be arrested if they break injunctions and the court procedures need to be speedy. "At the moment, it can take up to 32 weeks to get into court. People are usually fairly desperate by the time they come to us and this is far too long."

The legislation is expected to include measures to make it easier for local authorities to get rid of tenants responsible for anti-social behaviour and to introduce "probationary tenancies" for new tenants.

They form part of the Housing Bill, which was one of the main legislative planks of the Queen's Speech.

Another measure expected to be in the Bill was an extension of right-to-buy legislation to housing association tenants. The homelessness legislation will be amended to require local authorities to put families, including single mothers, at the top of their housing waiting lists.

The Bill also includes measures designed to enable private finance to be brought in to regenerate the most rundown council estates.

The private rented sector will receive a boost with legal reforms aimed at reinforcing the position of small landlords.

Finally, it will include a series of measures to strengthen the position of leaseholders to protect them from unscrupulous landlords who try to impose excessive service charges.

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