Campaigners who want to stop the demolition of four tower blocks are calling for the flats to be used to house homeless people this winter.

The 600 high-rise homes in Wyndford are due to be brought down and replaced with a new development of 300 low-rise homes, including 255 for social rent.

Wheatley Homes Glasgow is the owner and it says it has the overwhelming support of the community for its plans.

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A group of 20 to 30 people staged a protest inside and outside one of the blocks and said they should be used to help deal with the housing emergency, declared by Glasgow City Council last month.

Glasgow Times: Four tower blocks in The Wyndford are earmarked for demolition. Photograph by Colin Mearns.

Nick Durie, of Wyndford Residents Union, said there are more than 300 homes still in liveable condition that could be put to use to ensure no-one is sleeping rough this winter.

The council expects a sharp increase in people made homeless as a result of the Home Office accelerating asylum claims this month.

Mr Durie said: “Glasgow has declared a housing emergency, yet there’s 312 homes that could be let out right now.

“We know the Home Office is about to pass through so many cases of asylum seekers and create a backlog of homeless people and homeless services are already far overstretched.

“We have a crisis on our hands and we need to use these homes right now.”

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Sean Clerkin, campaign co-ordinator of the Scottish Tenants Organisation, joined the protest.

He said: “Indigenous homeless people and successful asylum seekers should be allowed to use these 312 flats.

“The flats are ready to be occupied. They should be used to provide warm, dry secure homes.”

Wheatley Homes Glasgow, however, said the flats can no longer house people.

A spokesperson said: “Wheatley continues to lead from the front in helping tackle homelessness across the country.

 “In the last financial year, we’ve provided more than 1300 homes to homeless people and families in Glasgow. This is part of a wider pledge by Wheatley Group, our parent company, to provide 10,000 properties to homeless people across Scotland by 2026.

 “The empty bedsit and one-bedroom flats in the four blocks at Wyndford have already been stripped of essential amenities and are not fit for living in.

 “These blocks are part of a massive £73m regeneration plan, which has the overwhelming support of tenants living in the area, which will see hundreds of new larger, energy-efficient family homes built for the community.”