AN ‘eyesore’ which has been a major target for vandalism and fly-tipping will start to be demolished today.

Staff from Together Housing and Darwen MP Jake Berry will be at the old Elizabeth House site in Sudellside Road this morning to see the building come down and make way for a £5.2million development.

A 46-home project including older people’s bungalows and three-bedroom family homes will replace it and will be made available for affordable rent.

Cllr Roy Davies, ward representative on the borough council, said: “It will be a huge relief to see this eyesore finally come down.

“We have had to suffer for two years with kids vandalising it.

“I am over the moon this is getting started and it will make a fantastic difference I think.

“However we do need to start making improvements to parks in the Sudell ward. This site became their playground because the parks around here are not good enough.”

Residents have called for the work to start since the plan was first announced in 2012 but there were several delays due to problems with bats.

In August the site was set on fire and Cllr Paul Browne branded it a ‘blot on the landscape’.

Project manager Renea Cammish said: “Building on the fantastic work we’ve done in Orchard Grove and Willow Gardens, this will provide more much-needed specialist accommodation."