A MAN who swapped the sunshine of Florida for East Lancashire's drizzle has been getting more rain than he bargained for.

Alan Ford moved to Accrington from Cape Canaveral 19 years ago because he likes the rain, and has been living in Hope Street for 18 years.

However, he has become fed up with the rain as it has been pouring inside the walls of his home for several months.

He has been told he will not get any special priority for urgent repairs to be carried out on his home, despite waiting two years for a repair grant.

Mr Ford was one of nine petitioners who wrote to Hyndburn Council claiming their properties on Hope Street were rapidly deteriorating and they could not afford the repairs.

He said: "One half of my home was totally burnt out on Boxing Day 1993 and I have to live in the other half. It is five years since the fire and I am still waiting for something to be done about it. The windows and doors are boarded up, and all the plaster has been burnt off the walls."

But Mr Ford does look on the bright side: "I have definitely learned the value of patience. I have to live in this mess but it's silly to get upset about it. How many people can say they can see their loft from the cellar?

"I think I should be somewhere on the waiting list, even if it is at the very bottom."

Julian Hickinbottom, urban renewal manager at Hyndburn Council said: "Within the renewal area we have a plan for doing external works first, and residents can apply for a follow-up grant for internal work.

"We have changed the priority system from geographical location to worst blocks first, which should be under way by the year 2000. We have had a look at Hope Street, and it does need work, although it is not by any means the worst block."

Mr Hickinbottom added that areas which had been given priority were 66-80 Higher Antley Street, some blocks on Marsden Street, Carter Street and Rose Street.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.