CHANNEL 4 has been slammed by an "outraged" Goldthorpe group for portraying the village in a negative light.
Britain's Benefit Tenants aired last Monday night and featured Andrew Dyke, 42, and the issues he faces with tenants and from landlords.
There was one instance where a resident was shooting rats in his kitchen with an air rifle and it also showed Andrew and employees of his company clearing up a former cannabis factory.
Hundreds of used needles were also removed from one property and there were regular shots of boarded-up terraced houses.
Charlotte Johnson, 30, from the Goldthorpe Development Group, was initially unhappy at how the programme portrayed Goldthorpe.
She said: "I was outraged with the programme and the light it showed Goldthorpe in.
"Rubbish is the main problem and we need more people to start taking pride in the area."
A meeting has been organised between concerned residents and the council to see what more can be done.
Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, added: "The issues raised in the TV programme are ones we’re already aware of and dealing with.
"We’re working hard on the regeneration of Goldthorpe by helping to bring empty properties back into use, bringing houses up to decent homes standards, installing CCTV, creating a new school and new extra care housing for older people.
"We welcome the opportunity to talk to local people about the work we’re doing there."
