FED-UP residents have used pen power to force a clean-up around a row of shops they have branded an eyesore.

But a director of the company which owns the shops says the firm would have tidied up if residents had approached them directly.

The residents wanted rapid improvements to the shops, in Belmont Road, Rudheath, most of which are empty and boarded up.

A total of 164 residents from Braemar Avenue, Belmont Road, Malpas Road, Agecroft Road, Greenway Walk and Greenway Drive signed a petition demanding a clean-up.

The petition was handed to Vale Royal Borough Council and the residents have also written to Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall.

One of the organisers of the petition was Judith Lambert, of Braemar Avenue.

'My garden backs on to the shops and in the winter when the leaves are gone all you can see are boarded up shops, it has just gone on for too long,' said Judith.

'Everybody we took the petition to signed it, there wasn't a single person who didn't and people who were out when we came around were disappointed they couldn't get their names on it as well,' she added.

The shops are owned by TDM Developments Ltd, which bought them nine months ago. The company is based in the Castle area.

TDM director John Doyle said the company had been unaware the residents were unhappy and added that the TDM would have taken action if the residents had approached them directly rather than drawing up a petition.

'The company has cleared the rubbish that was dumped at the back of the shops and it is now spotlessly clean,' said Mr Doyle.

'New fencing and new gates have also been put in ­- this has been done in the last week.

'The company has an architect working on the buildings and they will be developed for residential purposes if we can secure planning permission.'

Mr Doyle said he expects a planning application to be submitted shortly.