A GARDEN fence erected by the council to protect a vulnerable elderly resident has been repeatedly destroyed by vandals.

Eighty-three-year-old Mrs Doris Price has lived in her council bungalow in Beech Close, Prestwich, for almost three years. But over the past few months she has been plagued by vandals.

She said: "Several wooden panels on the fence have been removed and people just throw their rubbish in the garden. The idea of having the fence in the first place was because I had teenagers coming into the garden. I do feel vulnerable as I never know who is going to be in there."

Mrs Price said she had contacted Bury Council numerous times to report the vandalism and, despite a visit from the housing department around two months ago, nothing had been done to try and rectify the problem.

A council spokesman said the fence had been mended by them in January but had been vandalised since then. Following enquiries by the Guide, council workers spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Mrs Price's home mending the fence.

The spokesman said: "We are aware there is a problem with the fence and work has been carried out to mend it. However, there is an ongoing problem with vandalism and we will monitor the situation. There has been a delay because we have been waiting for the materials to come on site."

Mrs Price was convinced the Guide's intervention had prompted the repairs. She said: "The vandalism has also been reported to the police and they are patrolling the area.

"After all this time, I think it is only because the newspaper got involved that they have mended the panels."