Residents of two tower blocks in one of the UKs most deprived areas have been angered by plans to demolish their homes.

The flats in the Barton Hill suburb of Bristol could soon be demolished under the government's New Deal regeneration scheme.

Up to �50m - in regular cash injections - has been pledged for regeneration in the area.

However, many elderly residents of the Barton House blocks thought the plan only involved installing CCTV cameras.

Barton House is not a bad block to look at but not a very nice block to live in

Alan McDaid, Bristol City Council

One resident said: "Everything has gone haywire. All we wanted was the cameras, it was never suggested that the flats might be demolished."

Another resident said she did not want to move into the houses that are proposed as replacements for residents.

"I'm 80 years of age and my husband's 86, so why should we have to move now?," she said.

However, Alan McDaid, the housing and development worker for Community at Heart, said residents' quality of life is a high priority in the plan.

"Barton House is not a bad block to look at but not a very nice block to live in," he said.

Crime cut

"We're a long way yet from demolishing anything though. The recent decision by the city council is just the first of many that have yet to be made.

"This whole project is about giving people a better living standard...people do want houses rather than flats.

"Residents have shaped this whole project - we've got to make sure that we all get this right."

Last September statistics showed the first instalment of the Government grant helped cut crime by a fifth and create jobs in the area.