A BUSY Astley road would be blocked with protesters if a retired developer tried to build on the site of his woodland retreat.

Joe Massey reckons that would be the case if he flattened his Church Road home and applied for permission to develop his vast garden.

Yet he says these same people won't help him catch vandals who are causing him misery and money.

"The majority of teenagers around here aren't a problem. But there are a dozen or so who are responsible for constant damage to my fencing down the side of my property," said Mr Massey, aged 83.

"All I am asking is that local people, who must know who the culprits are, help me bring them to justice. And when they do the parents of those responsible will be liable for a big bill."

Mr Massey said to renew fencing would cost £6,000.

"I've already had 10 panels put up costing £830, but within a fortnight half will be damaged.

"Nobody seems bothered about my problem, but I bet they'd block Church Road if I said I wanted to flatten The Meads and build houses on the site."

Mr Massey is also disgruntled at having to fork-out thousands for specialist work on trees in his garden.

He said:"Tyldesley Council slapped-on tree preservation orders after I moved into The Meads 30-odd years ago.

"Yet I have to fork-out for maintenance. Surely the authorities should help with compensation for the upkeep if they want to keep these trees which add to the beauty of the area."

And Mr Massey feels understandably hard done to since years ago he donated half-an-acre of his garden to improve road safety.

A Council spokesman said their budget for work on trees was more than taken up by maintenance of trees on public land.

"We haven't the funds to do all the work we would like on this. It would be impossible to widen the use of the funds to private property. Where Mr Massey lives has been a conservation area for a long time and it's right that this heritage of trees should be preserved by legislation."

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