BUNGLING council officials in Southampton tried to charge residents to install digital TV in their flats just months before they are due to be ripped down.

Leaseholders of flats at Cumbrian Way, Millbrook, which are due to be demolished in October, received letters ordering them to pay around £200 to be upgraded from an old cable system.

And the letters warned those that didn’t let workmen in would have their old TV signal cut off.

But the council performed a U-turn when leaseholder Sean Knowlson questioned the plan and refused to pay.

He said: “I wonder who thought of this latest way to waste council taxpayers’ money?”

A council official eventually confirmed: “The flats will not have the new system as this would be a waste of time, money and effort.”

It comes as the council prepares to sign a deal this week with FirstLine Digital to upgrade TV in 13,000 council homes where tenants receive a communal signal.

The work will be carried out over the next 14 months to prepare for the digital switchover in 2012. Tory council leaders agreed to spend £2.6m on the project 18 months ago. Almost all council tenants already get cable TV from Hampshirebased Virgin Media, formerly NTL, but many complained about poor service and limited channels. Many face an annual service charge of around £25.

Residents of some blocks have complained about having to pay the installation fee.

Geoff Titchener, 47, an administrator who lives at Wyndham Court, said: “They want to charge me £164 to install a TV system into my house that I don’t need.”

The council has so far failed to respond to his concerns. A spokesman was unavailable for comment last night.