FOR 10 years they have lived in up-market Broadstone but now outraged residents fear being hived off into Poole's Creekmoor estate.

Placing four roads from the Pinesprings estate into the Creekmoor ward for voting purposes is a Boundary Commission proposal to even up the numbers.

But residents of properties in Cowslip, Dogwood, Sundew Roads and Kingcup Close fear this is merely the thin end of the wedge.

And those living in roads east of Pinesprings Drive who are not affected are being urged to lend their support as a groundswell of anxiety grows over property prices and school catchment areas.

Mike and Sue O'Brien of Cowslip Road are urging residents to protest. "How much longer will it be before these roads are moved into Creekmoor completely.

"If you ignore this issue your property values and school catchment areas may change in spite of what you wish," they say.

A five-bed property in Pinesprings recently sold for £300,000 while a larger one down the road at Creekmoor - an estate of mainly one/two/three bed homes - sold for £50,000 less.

Residents claim they were not informed about the proposals. Broadstone Residents Association has penned a letter of objection and Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole has taken up the case and is urging people to write.

Paul Morris, Borough of Poole electoral registration officer said this was a "number crunching exercise" by the boundary review.

"It won't alter school catchment areas, they are based on radii emanating from a school. Postcodes won't be changed. It is purely an administrative arrangement," he said.

Broadstone councillor Bob Williams said: "They have done it just to make the numbers make sense. I have tried to give re-assurance that it is purely a political boundary change and nothing else."

A spokesman for the review said all stages of it had been well advertised, the final date for representations was April 23 and the boundary committee was to meet at the end of May with the final recommendations due on July 9.

However, because of the number of people objecting, their views will be taken into account, said a spokesman.

"If people have representations they should put them in writing to the team. They will be taken on board and they will get some sort of response as well," he said.

They should go to: Poole Team Leader, Electoral Commission, Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2HW or email (shartley@boundarycommittee.org.uk).