A LONG-SERVING MP says he will remain vigilant in taking on leasehold companies targeting Bolton residents, despite an insurance firm backing out of a controversial deal.

Earlier this year, Sir David Crausby called the Compton Group, a leasehold company, to desist from pressuring residents into taking out insurance with their preferred provider — a practice he helped outlaw through legislation in 2002.

Residents said that the Compton Group demanded payment of £60 to continue using any insurance provider other than Liverpool Victoria (LV).

However, the insurer says it has now ‘listened to customers’ and ended its agreement with the group.

The Bolton North East MP said: “This is something I have been chasing for years.

“The Compton Group has kept getting different insurance companies to take part in what I see as an unethical practice.

“Not very well off constituents of mine shouldn’t be pressured into buying insurance from one firm when they would rather choose for themselves.

“I am glad that LV has walked away, but it is by no means the end of the campaign.

“What we need is to have stronger legislation introduced, or at least for the existing legislation to be properly enforced.

“We need to give people the confidence to be able to resist pressure like this, then the companies in question will usually stop targeting them.”

It was also claimed that the Compton Group demanded a written assurance from residents that they would take out insurance with LV at the time of next renewal.

An LV spokesman said: “It was important to us that we listened to customers and after a review within our business we’ve subsequently changed the way we work with Compton Group.”

The Compton Group, a Swansea-based firm that owns a large number of leaseholds on properties in Bolton and across the North West, was not available for comment.

Sir David added: “The more people who come to see me about this issue, the better.

“I actually don’t know of any cases where people have been taken to court for not paying these fees, but the legal action does force a lot of people into coughing up money that they shouldn’t be.

“Big companies like this are just trying to extract every penny they can from residents.”

The MP, who was knighted earlier this year, says he will take this issue to the housing minister, Gavin Barwell.