A GRANDMOTHER fighting for the right to keep a monkey in her home today claimed repair work on her council house had put her pet's future in jeopardy.

Mary Stanton, 73, of Harrison Street, Blackburn, was appealing at Blackburn magistrates' court against Blackburn with Darwen Council's refusal of a dangerous animals licence for the 13-year-old monkey, Joe.

If Mrs Stanton loses the case the monkey will be seized by the council and taken away to Monkey World in Dorset.

Before the case started, the grandmother claimed she has had to sell two of her pet macaws to help pay the £3,000 legal fees for the case.

Giles Cannock, representing Mrs Stanton, said his client had been forced to remove the exercise run for the capuchin pet.

He said the demolition of the run in the back garden meant Mrs Stanton was forced to let the monkey out of its cage to exercise.

The council claimed this flouted the terms of a dangerous wild animals licence and refused to renew it. Colin Clark, senior environmental health officer with Blackburn with Darwen Council told today's hearing that he had inspected the house on three occasions before advising Mrs Stanton that any new licence application would be turned down.

He said: "The monkey was provided with only minimum stimulation. An old tyre and a stick are not stimulation for a capuchin monkey. It was not only the welfare of the monkey that gave me concern but public safety. I could not have considered advising the council to give Mrs Stanton a licence."

On the three occasions Mrs Clark visited Mrs Stanton's house he found the monkey out of its cage and able to escape on to the street outside.

A vet's report added that the circumstances in which the monkey were kept were not satisfactory for either the animal's welfare or security for the public.

Mr Clark said: "Without a shadow of a doubt Mrs Stanton was not complying with my requests to keep the monkey in its cage. Either she did not appreciate that the monkey is capable of inflicting serious injury or she is being reckless.

"This is an animal designed to fight for its life in the jungles of Columbia."

The court heard that since the council's last inspection on June 9, Mrs Stanton has built a new exercise run for the monkey and improved the security of the cage.

The case continues.