ANGRY people in Huncoat have joined together to fight against a spate of paving stone thefts in a community park.

The Peace Garden at the corner of Burnley Lane has been subject to a number of incidents over the past several weeks.

The garden, which cost £11,000, opened in April 2011 after eight years of work from the Huncoat Community Forum.

Members of the forum met with residents and councillors on Wednesday to look to come up with a solution to the issue, which has occurred again in the past week.

Chair of the forum, Roy Chetham, said: "It is my sentiments exactly that it is a crime that is causing problems for everyone in the community.

"It's ridiculous that people in the area keep doing this. I don't know how they do it.

"We've got to be looking to try and catch those responsible and try and prevent the problem."

Around eight concrete slabs have been taken from the Peace Garden, which consists of flower beds, seating, paved path and artwork.

The garden is known as a 'place of tranquility' in the area and has gate posts carved with dove emblems at the entrance, while a dedication plaque has also been created.

Cllr Eamonn Higgins, who represents the ward on Hyndburn Council, met with members of the community forum to discuss the issues, who called the thefts 'disgusting'.

Forum member Nick Whittaker said: "This is absolutely disgusting that people can do this is an area designated for a peace, do they really have no morals?

"I know these people are robbing stone from all over Huncoat. Residents walls are being decimated by these thieves but they really are the lowest of the low to rip the heart out of the Peace Garden.

"If anyone knows who has done this please come forward and report it to the police."

Forum members are now calling on licences to be implemented to sell paving stones after the rise of the thefts throughout the area, in a bid to track sales of stones in a hope to catch those who have been stealing them.

Former Hyndburn Councillor Dave Parkin said: "There's nothing the police can do about it, we've got to catch them when they're doing it.

"How anybody can sink that low, these stones have been there for years. We can only do so much at the end of the day.

"There's only one thing to blame for it all, and that's austerity."