THE amount of choice a bidding scheme gives council tenants has been called into question.

The East London Letting Company Choice scheme allows Waltham Forest tenants on the housing register to 'bid' for houses advertised in a glossy fortnightly magazine.

A property goes to the household highest on the council's priority list, when more than one bid is received.

The aim of the scheme is to give council tenants a choice of their next home.

But Cllr Liz Phillips wants a review of the system after she received several complaints that advertised houses had been withdrawn before the end of bidding.

"I think it should be relooked at, I really do," she said.

"They say the housing department has a right to withdraw a house if it has someone really desperate.

"It says it is very seldom a house is withdrawn. I know of at least three since it started last November."

One tenant, Ann Linton, 53, of Woodhouse Road, Leytonstone, said she was upset when she found her dream home had been withdrawn before the end of the bidding deadline.

She lives with her two children and dog in a two-bedroom house she has occupied for 20 years.

Her excitement at a 'perfect' three-bedroom house in Walthamstow was thwarted when she was told the house had been withdrawn.

"You go through this whole process only to be told it's not even there any more," she said.

"It is like they are just pulling the wool over your eyes."

Ms Linton said she previously applied for a home using the scheme and was successful, but she turned it down because it was not the one she said was featured in the magazine.

The scheme is run in conjunction with Newham and Redbridge councils and was set as part of a Government initiative designed to give residents more choice.

The website admits that some of the houses may have to be withdrawn when tenants' plans to vacate fall through.

It adds that the pictures used in the magazine may not be that of the house advertised.

A Waltham Forest Council spokesman said: "Since its launch in October 2003, Choice Based Lettings has assisted us to re-house successfully more than 850 applicants.

"On average between 26 and 50 properties are published every fortnight in the Choice Based Lettings magazine, with an average 25 applications received for each.

"On very rare occasions a property may have to be withdrawn from the scheme for example, where the council has to provide emergency housing to a family or individual.

"Mrs Linton has bid for two properties, neither of which was withdrawn from the scheme.

"We offered one of these homes to Mrs Linton, but she subsequently declined it. Mrs Linton did attempt to bid for a third property.

"Owing to unforeseen circumstances we unfortunately had to withdraw this home, and we do apologise for any inconvenience this caused.

"We do hope that Mrs Linton finds a property soon through Choice Based Lettings."