HOUSEHOLDERS living near Bamber Bridge Football Club say their gardens are being destroyed because poor drainage at the ground makes their yards flood.

The residents, who live on Brownedge Road, with their back gardens adjoining the ground, claim during the winter months water flows into their gardens from the football ground.

Resident Norman Eccles says an embankment built for spectators between the pitch and the row of houses has caused water to flow into the gardens. Retired Norman, speaking on behalf of a group of residents said: "When the ground was first created, we were given a list of assurances, which included a promise not to raise the ground level. But now we can't use our garden for days at a time."

The club has also erected netting at the foot of locals' gardens to prevent balls flying over during a game.

Norman keeps the footballs in a bid to get action from the club. He added: "The netting is horrible. We were told that it would be put up 15 minutes before a game and taken down 30 minutes after. But it is there all the time."

Dennis Allan, chairman of the club, said: "We can't do right for doing wrong.

"The residents complained when the balls smashed their pots and now they complain when we put the netting up. As for the gardens, the draining problem is not our fault and there is nothing we can do about it."

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