The former head of Brighton and Hove City Council's housing committee has accused council officials of failing tenants and threatened to take them to court.

Jack Hazelgrove quit as committee chairman a week ago after a vote on renovating the ageing housing stock was suddenly withdrawn on chief housing officer Ian Long's advice.

He said new Government information had surfaced which meant the decision would have to be postponed.

Coun Hazelgrove denied there was anything new in the Government's letter and immediately resigned.

He said: "In 20 years as a councillor I have never encountered anything like this at all. Items have been removed from the agenda but not on issues of major policy.

"What is at stake here is a fundamental principle of democracy. Should unelected officers of either Brighton and Hove City Council or the Government Office for the South East use their powers to frustrate the will of tenants and elected councillors?

"I believed their actions were wholly unjustified and perverse so I resigned but will continue to work with tenants to see justice is done."

The delay means the council will miss this year's deadline for funding to set up an arms-length management organisation to run its 13,000 houses and unlock up to £100 million of Government money for improvements.

Consultation and preparation for the funding bid has already taken three years and cost taxpayers £300,000.

Coun Hazelgrove believed Mr Long and council leader Ken Bodfish were pressured by the Government, which is said to prefer councils to transfer their stock to housing associations.

The Labour councillor, who represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, accused officers of threatening democracy by defeating the will of elected councillors.

He may test the decision in court on the grounds it was made irrationally.

Mr Long declined to comment. Coun Bodfish said: "It's a personal matter for Jack, which I regret."

The council could decide that rather than waiting a year for the next funding round it would be better to push for a transfer of stock to a housing association, something the tenants' panel has wanted all along.

This would be opposed by campaigners Defend Council Housing, which fears less security and higher rents.