A WORCESTER couple are furious after the city council has offered to sell them their home at £108,000, more than double the price it was valued at two-and-a-half years ago.

Gareth and Sharon Wise, of Vigornia Avenue, Rainbow Hill, say the reason their house is so expensive is because of work they have done on it.

The couple, who have lived in the three-bedroom semi-det-ached house for six years, say they cannot afford to buy it.

It comes weeks after council tenants voted in favour of proposals to sell Worcester City Council's housing stock to "not-for-profit" landlord Worcester Community Housing.

The council's 4,659 houses will be sold for £8,000 each.

Mr Wise, aged 35, initially put in an offer for his home in April 2000, when he was offered it for £53,500 with a discount based on their tenancy time with the council of £18,725.

However, he broke his thumb three days before he was due to sign the agreement and was unable to pursue it as he was off work for three months.

The couple have since put in another request to buy their home and were sent a letter last month, offering it to them for £108,000, minus a discount of £26,000.

Mr Wise, a lorry driver, said he had put in a driveway, a fitted kitchen, a new bathroom, installed a heating system, light fittings, skirting boards and doors since they moved in.

"I'm disgusted. We have got one of the lowest council rents in the area but they want the highest rate on the property," he said

"We've only called the council around twice to do work - once for electrics and once for a cracked toilet. I've done the rest of the work. I think they are just taking the mickey."

Odette Shone, city council development support officer responsible for the right to buy, said the council was writing to the district valuer to get the house independently revalued.

"What people need to be aware of is house prices have gone up considerably over the past few years," she said.

"A local estate agent values the properties very much in line with market prices and this is what the valuer considered to be the going rate."

Mrs Shone said the reason the price of the council houses sold to Worcester Community Housing was set at £8,000 each was because the landlord was buying an entire housing stock.