Council tenants in York should be empowered to reject new residents moving in next door, it was proposed today.

Nuisance neighbours and vandalism could be curtailed if tenants were able to vet newcomers to their area, Liberal democrat councillors say.

They propose that a local tenant representative should advise local councillors and housing officials on the suitability of applicants for council homes.

Coun Steve Galloway says the proposal has already been successfully trialled in formerly "no-go" parts of Glasgow - and would work in York, too.

The suggestion has won the backing of some community leaders - but received a hostile reaction from housing chiefs in the city, who said it would mean a return to Victorian times.

Coun Steve Galloway said giving tenants more influence in the allocation of council houses would avoid "insensitive" decisions such as moving teenagers into a block occupied mainly by the elderly. He said: "Quite simply, the lifestyles are incompatible."

In addition to the vetting process, the Lib Dems propose that new tenants are given a property on a 12-month licence basis, with permanent permission being given only if the first year was problem-free.

Brian Flanagan, a neighbourhood watch co-ordinator from the Clifton area, said: "I think the majority of people would support this. Local people have been saying for some time that they think tenants should be vetted to see if they are compatible.

"Obviously it would have to work in a way that stopped people who bore a grudge from using it to their own advantage.

"In private housing it is not unusual to have a one-year lease. It would certainly save having to get eviction notices on problem tenants - you just refuse to renew their tenancy at the end of the year."

But Coun David Horton, the Labour vice-chairman of the housing committee, said: "It would be going back to the Victorian times, when landlords went round inspecting homes all the time.

"Vetting panels would be a mighty headache. It gets too personal. I have a sneaking suspicion that tenants wouldn't want to get involved because if somebody was refused a property the finger of blame would be pointed."

He said the present system, in which tenants are evaluated on a points system according to their circumstances, was more objective.

And Tang Hall residents' association chairman David Wilson said: "It's laughable, frankly. I think it's totally impractical. How could you have a panel adjudicating on every council house allocation?"

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