MORE than 700 people have backed the family of a little girl whose cherished garden is under threat from council planners.

Bob Landon, who runs Bob's chip shop on Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwistle, built a roof garden above the family's garage to provide his daughter Millie with a safe play area.

Millie, who is three years of age, suffers from cerebral palsy and needed a safe place to play away from traffic. The roof garden was a haven for the youngster until her parents were told it breached planning rules.

After the family applied for retrospective planing permission, the council refused the application, as two residents in the 50-house street objected.

But the Landons have hit back and teamed up with Greg Pope, Hyndburn MP, to present the council with a petition signed by 700 locals.

Bob said: "I think the council are frightened of getting egg on their face. I don't think they'll bow down.

"We got around 700 people to sign the petition. Now everybody but one person has signed it and if it's just one person objecting, surely the council can't stop us?

"At the end of the day, we're just trying to make it safe for Millie to play. I hope they change their minds."

The family now face a wait to see if the petition has any effect.

Mr Pope said: "I am very sympathetic to the situation this family is in.

"Hopefully common sense will prevail and a compromise be reached. There are rules and regulations to be upheld, and the council can't be seen to just make a U-turn, but it's not like that. It is not in anybody's interest to demolish the garden.

"I've written to the council, pointing out that there is a petition, and asking them to take a second look."

And Millie's mother Linda added: "There was a great response from the public, and we would like to thank everybody. We handed over the petition to the council and they're having a further meeting on Monday. So we won't have an outcome until then.

"Hopefully they will take into consideration the amount of signatures we've got.

"The general feeling was that we should be allowed to have it. But, at the end of the day, it's down to the planners."