High-rise residents told homes will be demolished
BBCNearly 100 people living in a high-rise block of flats have been told their homes will be demolished.
South Tyneside Council's cabinet gave the go-ahead for Durham Court in Hebburn to be taken down, at a meeting on Wednesday.
It said the 1974-built block had outlived its "original intended lifespan" of 50 years and the estimated £12m needed to repair it was not viable.
Those living there - many of them elderly tenants - now face the upheaval of being rehomed over a possible five-year period.
A number of those living in the building - which is seen as a landmark in the town - described the tower block as a "thriving community" of people "who all look after each other".
Resident Peter Douglass said: "I know if I need any help it's right there in this building.
"That's a community and they're destroying it in one fell swoop."
Widow Emily Rice, 94, who is partially-sighted, added: "My husband died and I've got no family - this was to be my last home, but the council in its wisdom has decided to turf me out."
The Labour-led local authority has offered tenants reassurances that it will find new homes for them in Hebburn and they will not have to leave the area.
Council leader Tracey Dixon said: "We will ensure right from the very beginning that the tenants that live in Durham Court will be given the homes of their choice.
"It's all about giving them priority, so if they want to continue living in Hebburn then they can."
She added: "We know Durham Court is their family home, so we're here to support them and make sure they lead healthy and happy lives."