VANDALS trashed a playhouse described as the "one joy" in a young leukaemia patient's life while she was in hospital for a check-up.

The playhouse was built to cheer up eight-year-old Amy Schofield after she was struck down with the disease for the second time.

And her mum, Karen Bland, who gave up work as a psychiatric nurse to care for Amy revealed she could not bring herself to tell her.

The playhouse was a present from Karen's partner, Rod, who built and decorated it in the back garden.

The house, which includes kitchen equipment and working lights, took two weeks to put together but now Karen said it was destroyed.

Vandals twice entered the family back garden in Tarbert Crescent, Blackburn, and smashed windows in Amy's play house. Karen, who said she was left speechless by the attack, found carpets ripped up and mud smeared on toys after the second break-in.

She said: "I could not believe it. I was absolutely speechless that someone could do such a thing. It disgusts me. It would break Amy's heart if she knew.

"That has been her favourite thing that has brought a smile to her face when times have been hard. It was her own little house. It was fantastic.

"It is absolutely wrecked and I don't think it is repairable. We'll have to get her a new one but I can't afford it at the moment.

"I'm just having to keep her inside saying it is too cold to play out so she won't see it. I can't let her. And to do it twice is plain evil."

Amy was diagnosed with leukaemia in August 2001 on her fourth birthday, after becoming poorly and complaining of aches and pains.

While in remission, she developed a rare infection which led to a seven-hour operation to remove part of her right lung.

Earlier this year, when the leukaemia returned, it caused a life-threatening brain tumour, which doctors found while she was having her tonsils removed.

Now Amy is in and out of The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, and is expected to be on medication for the rest of her life.

She has recently started going to Shadsworth Infant School a few times a week after being too ill to celebrate her birthday for two years.

Leukaemia affects almost 7,000 children every year and its cause is unknown.