AFP - Sochi residents deplored on Tuesday the manner in which their houses had been seized and destroyed under government orders as the Black Sea resort prepares for hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Several of them appeared at a press conference held here to publicise their complaints.

"I was informed that the house in which I had lived in for 30 years was going to be destroyed," said 60-year-old retiree Valeri Rogatchov.

"I refused to give my permission ... and at five o'clock in the morning of July 6 2007, an arsonist attacked my house," added Rogatchov, whose house has been replaced by an appartment block.

The Games organisers issued a statement to AFP in which they claimed to have, through the government, offered compensation either by a new house, or a piece of land or financial payment.

However, this was denied by some of the Sochi residents.

Desdemone Dejambourie revealed she had had to pay out of her own pocket to rent an appartment for her and her eight family members after being expelled from the house she had lived in for 32 years.

"The government had promised us a financial payment but I received nothing," said Dejambourie, who added that despite writing to the justice department and to Russian Prime Minister and some-time Sochi resident Vladimir Putin she had received no reply.

Another Sochi resident, 63-year-old Alexandre Borisovitch, said that they were living in a climate of fear.

"They demand several times a week: 'When are you leaving?" he said.

Sochi pulled off a stunning victory to host the Games at the International Olympic Committee vote in Guatemala in 2007 beating off favourites Pyeongchang, from South Korea, and the Austrian resort of Salzburg with Putin playing an influential role in their win.

However, since then it has been beset by problems over the speed of the work in building the infrastructure required and also environmental concerns as it gears up to become the first Russian venue to host the Winter Games.