Hundreds of people took part in a protest yesterday over poor housing conditions in the Village area in the south of the city.

Residents were joined by community representatives from Roden Street, the Falls Road, St James' and Grosvenor areas for the demonstration at Broadway.

A Belfast Telegraph investigation revealed some people were living in Dickensian conditions in houses with outside toilets, had no heating, hot water and in some cases no electric.

The protesters had threatened to block the Westlink but these tactics were scaled down after the Government made a regeneration pledge yesterday.

Instead they held placards and leafleted passing motorists.

Residents also voiced fears of the destruction of their community because families were being forced out of the area due to a lack of suitable accommodation.

Margaret Couchman of the Windsor Women's Centre, who has championed the cause of a number of people living in appalling conditions, said residents welcomed the Government's statement of commitment - but that it didn't go far enough.

She said residents wanted 75% regeneration for the whole area and not the 40% as previously promised by the department.

"We are giving the Department of Social Development (DSD) a clear message that they have one month to put something positive into this area. It this is not done we will protest on a large scale and we will cut off Belfast completely. These are decent law abiding people but they feel so strongly about the issue."

It is the third time Village residents have taken to the streets.

Said Mrs Couchaman: "I hate to say it, but protesting works. We have been trying to get a meeting with DSD for four years. It was only when we started to protest that we got anywhere."