A FURIOUS landlord was "sickened" after finding the home he grew up in wrecked after tenants were served a court order to quit the rented property.

Mr Don Woods , 57, obtained an eviction notice to oust two 21-year-old men from his three bedroom semi-detached house in Holly Street, Blackburn, after they failed to pay their rent for four months, notching up arrears of £1,200.

But after they had left the property, which Mr Woods inherited two years ago after his mother died, he found the fridge and cooker had been stolen and a trail of damage was left which included:

Offensive messages daubed on the wall with cooking lard

Piles of rubbish scattered throughout the house

M-zHuman excrement deposited in the living room and landing

Cooking lard smeared on all the doors and light switches

Cooking oil poured on the kitchen floor so that it "looked like a skating rink."

Blackburn-born Mr Woods, who works as a consultant for British Petroleum and lives in London, said it would cost more than £350 to have the mess cleared up.

He blasted: "I heard from a neighbour that the tenants had gone and the house was in an absolutely appalling state.

"I spent my childhood in this house and am staggered that in today's society some people can plummet to such depraved levels." Mr Woods was temporarily renting the house through agents until he found a buyer.

He added: " I have had no problem in the past with tenants. I wanted them to pay up and in the end I had to force them to leave with a court order. These tenants are the same age as my son who I know would not have allowed a property to be left in such a state." Blackburn police are investigating the incident.

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