Crackdown on tumbledown houses

ORIHUELA council has singled out 64 properties in the town centre in need of urgent repairs. 

The council hopes that a tidy-up of the old quarter will persuade people to return to the centre instead of moving to the outskirts or other towns. The Housing and Development department is notifying the owners of the most dilapidated properties whose condition puts passersby at risk, said councillor Antonio Zapata. The biggest problem at present is contacting owners, he explained. Some are deceased, and their heirs must be traced to arrange repairs.