NEW figures obtained by an East Lancashire MP reveal that problems with hard-to-sell low value homes in the region are among the worst in the country.

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice said that last year 2,463 houses in the region were sold for less than £20,000 -- the highest number for any of the nine 'Pathfinder' areas.

The figure amounts to one-tenth of the total homes sold for less than £20,000 in the target areas which are to share £500million in the next three years.

It is much worse than the next highest total of 1,656 in Manchester and Salford, which has already been given approval for a £125m grant to tackle problem housing.

Now, Pendle MP Mr Prentice and his Hyndburn Labour colleague Greg Pope, are stepping up the pressure on Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott for a similarly generous cash grant.

The bid by 'Elevate' - covering Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Rossendale, Pendle and Hyndburn boroughs - is due to be submitted later this year, with a cash allocation announced shortly before or after Christmas.

The figures for the seven other Pathfinder areas are as follows: Birmingham and Sandwell, 53; Hull, 719; North Staffordshire, 636; Merseyside, 770; Oldham-Rochdale, 502; South Yorkshire, 621; Tyneside, 369.

Mr Pope and Mr Prentice are to join fellow East Lancashire MPs in a meeting with Elevate chairman David Taylor and chief executive Max Steinberg, to discuss the final details of the bid early next month.

Mr Prentice said: "People want to see property values rise rather than plummet. More sales of properties for under £20,000 are here than in any other Pathfinder area. We've got to turn that around.

"I am confident we are going to see real progress.''

Mr Pope said: "This is really important. We have real problems as these shocking statistics show and we need real money from central government.

"I expect there to be a major cash injection for Elevate when the announcement is made.

East Lancashire councils initially put in a bid for £680m more than ten years before the Pathfinder project was announced.