A LOCAL solicitor has offered to back Oxford's tower residents in their legal case against Oxford City Council.

Angelo Luiz-Barrea, of Thame-based firm Stocker & Co, lent his support to the campaign after leaseholders in Oxford's five towers were hit with £50,000 refurbishment bills.

Over the coming weeks he will organise for a barrister, Matthew Fraser of Landmark Chambers in London, to represent the leaseholders at a forthcoming tribunal.

At a meeting of Oxford Towers Leaseholders Association (OTLA) in Headington last week, Mr Luiz-Barrea said: "Landmark is the leading chambers in the country on disputes of this kind.

"Stocker & Co will do all the preparatory work for him. He's an experienced lawyer who knows his stuff, is keen, well-spoken and gets the point across well."

Provisional bills of between £40,000 and £60,000 were sent to 51 leaseholders at Windrush, Evenlode, Hockmore, Plowman and Foresters Towers at the start of this year.

The costs form their share of the £20m towers refurbishment project but will be decided on by a judge from the Property Chamber of HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

Mr Luiz-Barrea said a date for the proceedings – originally expected to take place in the Spring – had still not been issued.

He added: "I would have expected the local authority to have done something by way of contact by now."

Two family members of Stocker & Co boss Chris Stocker are leaseholders themselves, and the firm has slashed its costs from £400 to £150 per hour for the job.

So far OTLA members have each paid about £200 into a communal pot to pay for legal costs, with £4,700 raised so far.

New chairman Darren Hazell said: "We are going to have to come back for more – whether people are going to enjoy that I don't know but they will enjoy £50,000 even less.

"Everyone knows it's a gamble but the members seem very happy and I hope they're going to stick with it, and I hope Angelo sticks with it."

Mr Hazell, whose personal bill came to about £52,000, lives in Headington but has a flat in Windrush Tower he formerly offered to the council for tenants on housing benefit.

He said: "Last year I spent £7,000 on my flat and put in a new bathroom, doors and decorations, and even some new heaters.

"As a leaseholder I've done my bit, spent my hard-earned money on my flat and been housing their tenants for years. And this is how they treat me. It does rattle you a bit."

Oxford City Council spokesman Chofamba Sithole said the council was also waiting to hear from the property courts on a date for the tribunal.