RESIDENTS living in newly-built houses just yards away from a Cricket pitch were literally hit for six on the first weekend of the season.

People living in the detached houses on Private Lane opposite Haslingden Cricket Club said the weekend had been an "absolute nightmare" with six balls flying over the wall and damaging houses and cars.

Michelle Siddle, who lives in one of the houses facing the ground, said: "Six balls came over during the match and hit a garage, a car and damaged roof tiles. It was an absolute nightmare.

"The players were coming into peoples' gardens to get the balls back.

"I know at least one neighbour of mine had her children playing in the back garden and I really do believe it will be sooner rather than later that someone gets hurt.

"If this is what it's like on the first weekend the rest of the season is going to be horrendous."

Residents of houses built on the site of the old auction mart between Private Lane and Broadway, who are worried about cricket balls causing damage or injury, met cricket club officials last week to discuss the situation and cricket bosses admitted there was little they could do apart from hit and hope.

And in a bid to resolve the dispute over stray balls, both officials at Haslingden Cricket Club and residents have called on Rossendale Council to admit it made an error in not forcing the developer to put up protective nets as part of planning permission.

They claim approving plans for the detached houses without imposing any conditions on the developer to provide protection for the houses will cause problems throughout the season.

Rossendale MP Janet Anderson has promised to take the case to the local government ombudsman to try to force the council to address concerns.

She says planning officers were wrong when they said government legislation stopped them putting conditions on the planning permission which was granted to McDermott Homes two years ago.

The developer has said it was never asked to provide protection from flying cricket balls and it was now a matter for the cricket club.