Angry residents of a crime-hit tower block are inviting a Government minister to look around their neighbourhood.

The tenants at Swarland Grove, off the Manchester Road in Bradford, want housing minister Hilary Armstrong, who enjoyed a well-publicised visit to Bradford two weeks ago, to return and see "the other side of the coin".

Ms Armstrong visited the renovated Ripleyville estate, run by the Bradford and Northern Housing Association, and praised the way tenants had been at the forefront of improvements to life on the estate.

Today, Kevin Wilson, who lives the other side of the Manchester Road, in a fifth-floor flat at Windsor Court, said: "Bradford and Northern Housing Association and the people of Ripleyville are to be congratulated on the changes they have made to the estate. But the problems of crime, drugs and vandalism have not disappeared, they have merely been transferred to the other side of Manchester Road to the court blocks and nearby walk up flats."

He has written to Ms Armstrong inviting her to view Council homes in the Swarland Grove area.

Fed-up residents say they were promised better security five years ago by Bradford Council. However, the hoped-for 24-hour concierge system has not arrived and CCTV cameras in the lifts are not enough to prevent burglaries.

The residents' letter to Ms Armstrong reads: "It is all very well for politicians to visit the improved estates and the success stories, but how about visiting the more run-down areas?"

A spokesman for Ms Armstrong promised a written response, adding: "The minister travels all over the country visiting estates in varying states of decline and renovation."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "We are aware of recent problems with the main entrance and have repaired the damage. Unfortunately this is a recurring problem but we are monitoring the situation. Security cameras operate in the lifts in all the flats in Swarland Grove and we are looking at possible plans to improve overall security."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.