LEIGH'S best known home, Cropper's Hall, is to be demolished to make way for a bakery car park.

The Manchester Road bungalow, the pride and joy of Leigh's demon barber Jess "The Cropper" Graham, will be flattened within the next six weeks.

It was bought by his neighbour, Waterfields, following his death four years ago, to incorporate into their site.

The news came to light this week following protests from Manchester Road residents about the run-down state of the property, built in the 60s and 70s through Jess's haircut-for-a-brick scheme at his Silk Street shop.

They complained that the bungalow is in a terribly run down state.

A spokesperson said: "Many Leigh people stopped at Cropper Hall just for a chat or a simple bunch of flowers. Now only vandals go or people stop to view the disgrace of the place.

"What a memory for Jess whose pride of place it was. It's time the new owners did something about it."

Waterfields' chief, Mr Richard Waterfield, said: "For the last four years we have mowed the lawns and kept the area tidy.

"Only last week staff members caught two 12-years-old girls smashing a window. They have since written letters of apology for trespassing on the site.

"The people complaining obviously don't walk past often enough.

"We shall be knocking the house down within the next six weeks to make way for a car park, gardens and general tidying up of the site. I appreciate the fact that it is run down, but it was always our intention to develop the site when we bought it."