NEWS that up to half the garages rented out by a housing society will be demolished and replaced with affordable homes has sparked anger among tenants.

West Wiltshire Housing Society has sent letters to all their garage tenants informing them many garages will be knocked down over the next 10 years.

The move would mean space for 100 new homes but residents say removing garages would aggravate parking problems, leaving the roads blocked with cars.

Vernon Berchall, 67, who rents a garage in Budbury Close, Bradford on Avon, said he was devastated to receive a letter telling him his garage would be knocked down. "I've been renting my garage for 30 years. I have a historic vehicle which has to be in a garage because it is not taxed all of the year and I can't leave it outside my house. The car is 84 years old and if I left it outside it would be vandalised within half a night."

Jonathan Hewat, of Wine Street, also rents a garage in Budbury Close, and agreed the move was unacceptable.

He said: "Even if these new houses hamve garages there will be 16 cars added to the roads, which are absolutely choc-a-bloc already. It is totally unacceptable and will just add to the parking problem.

"My wife is disabled and finds it difficult to get to our house if the car is parked too far away. It's quite appalling."

John Alford, chairman of West Wiltshire Housing Society, said the society had created a 10-year plan following a strategic review of its garage service.

"We have worked closely with tenants during this review to produce a plan that meets their needs and addresses their concerns," he said. "This 10-year plan allows the society to concentrate on providing homes for its tenants and for the 3,000 families on the waiting list."

Rebecca O'Neill, a spokesman for the society, said: "All the garages we own were part of the review and roughly half will be knocked down.

"At the moment about 30 per cent of them are empty. Lots of them suffer from anti-social behaviour and vandalism."

Cllr Fran Lewis, from Bradford Town Council, said she would back any campaign from residents to fight the decision.