A WALL which has fallen prey to stone thieves and vandals in the past 12 months could finally be repaired.

Calls to repair a stone wall which has been subjected to vandalism on Halifax Road, Briercliffe, have been made by residents and councillors over the last year.

Several old flag stones, which are thought to be worth hundreds of pounds, were stolen by thieves during this time.

In one instance, a man caught in the act of stealing a couple of stones by police officers after they noticed the stones had been removed on successive nights.

Secret cameras were even installed to deter thefts and catch them in the act.

The wall faced further damage last winter after a driver crashed their car into the wall, which separates a footpath and Burnley's Halifax Road.

Briercliffe residents have repeatedly told their local representatives they are 'extremely concerned' about the state of the wall amid safety concerns and the impression the wall gives to the area.

Ward councillors have called on the highways authority, Lancashire County Council, to fix the wall over recent months but have been told by County Hall the priority is to deal with the vast number of potholes across the county.

Following a site visit from Lancashire's highways engineer, the county council has now revealed the repairs will take place next month.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "The work is due to begin within the next three weeks, and will include repairing the section which was damaged by a vehicle, and replacing coping stones which had been stolen with reclaimed concrete flags of lower value to discourage further thefts.

"A man was caught in the act of removing coping stones from the wall, and later prosecuted, as a result of our highways staff working with Lancashire Police after noticing that stones were being removed on successive nights."

Cllr Gordon Lishman, who also represents the area, said: "I'm very pleased and it's taken them a long time but to be fair they have made some effort.

"They have been waiting to get some insurance matters sorted out for the car that demolished some of the wall and know they are under pressure.

Briercliffe Cllr Margaret Lishman said: "It's brilliant news and I'm sure residents will be pleased because it has been a major problem for us in Briercliffe."