PENDLE Council is taking strong action to deal with an "eyesore" house blighting an Earby neighbourhood.

The executive agreed to carry out repair work on the house, which it said was an "eyesore" and in very poor condition.

“The Albion Street property is causing considerable concern,” said West Craven councillor David Whipp. “Getting urgent repairs carried out and then sorting out the long-term future of the house is the speediest way of dealing with the issue.”

He said the property’s owner had been taken to court by the council in an attempt to get work carried out, but this had had no effect.

Now the council will get the work carried out directly and place a charge on the property to recover the cost.

If the debt is not repaid, the house could be the subject of a forced sale.

Cllr Whipp said: “This is the best way of dealing with this problem and should eventually lead to it being a decent house in a decent area.”

Colleagues on Pendle Council’s executive agreed to take action under the Building Act.