THE terrified neighbours of Dillon Hull's mother and step-father breathed a sigh of relief as the couple's Jauncey Street home was painstakingly cleared yesterday.

And as the removal vans moved out, local people were already planning to buy a memorial plaque so that no-one in the area ever forgets the innocent five-year-old who moved from Blackburn to Bolton just months before his horrific murder last Wednesday.

Jane Hull and her common-law husband John Bates are now at a police "safe house".

After the murder, in nearby Bankfield Street, Deane, the couple had refused to go to a safe house despite fears of a further attack by Dillon's killer.

Although relieved the couple - who have both been convicted of drugs offences - had now gone from the rented terraced house, the residents who had organised a 700 signature petition to get them out believed they should have moved out immediately after the murder.

One neighbour said: "The whole street will breathe a sigh of relief now that they are gone. We can now hopefully get back to normal and our kids can play in the street again. "I just think that they should have gone last Tuesday night after their windows were shot at, instead of putting lives in danger."

Another said: "We can now sleep at night."

Although many locals say they are glad to see the couple go, there is still a feeling of tremendous sadness over former Longshaw Junior School, Blackburn pupil Dillon and many people feel he should be remembered in some way.

Several residents are planning a collection for a simple memorial plaque for the five-year-old to be placed either near his home or on Bankfield Street where he was gunned down.

Another neighbour said: "We think it is important not to forget what has happened. We should not forget little Dillon. We want to show that we care."

Residents fear they have been portrayed as a "lynch mob" trying to get Jane Hull and John Bates out of their home.

The neighbour added: "We are very upset about what our MP Brian Iddon has said. He refused to sign our petition and described us as a lynch mob. That is so far from the truth. We just wanted to protect our children."

But perhaps it was left to a little girl to sum up the overall feeling in Deane as the two removal vans drove away.

She asked a police officer guarding the street: "If they are moving out, does that mean there will be no more shooting?"

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