A PORCH built to offer protection against burglars could be demolished by a council.

More than 100 people have signed a petition to stop Pendle Council knocking down retired couple George and Patricia Owen’s porch in Barnoldswick after planning permission to build it was refused twice.

Mr and Mrs Owen, who have lived in the area for more than 50 years, made the decision to build their own porch after their home was burgled last September.

The burglary, on Taylor Street, happened just a day after the pensioners had returned from their four-day holiday in Scarborough where they were celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. After their return, the couple were woken up by two police officers who told them they had been burgled.

Mr Owen, who is 74, said: “At first I thought I was dreaming and went back to sleep.

“They told us, ‘it was not a joke’ and we went downstairs and saw we had been burgled.

“The burglars had demolished the back door, stolen the car keys and did a bit of damage to the kitchen. The burglars came again before they were caught by the police.”

At the end of September the retired engineer decided to build the £2,500 porch, with the help of his 39-year-old son Gareth, because he felt it offered better security and protection for himself and his wife who felt like prisoners in their own home.

After Pendle Council received a complaint about ‘unlawful building’ work on Taylor Street, a planning officer visited the property and told Mr Owen he needed to submit a retrospective planning application.

Mr Owen then put forward an application to Pendle Council, but this was rejected on the grounds the house is in a conservation area, which means that any new building work has to be in keeping with the area.

Subsequently the former Rolls Royce worker offered to knock down the porch and rebuild it with natural stone, but his revised planning application was also rejected by the council in early March this year.

Following a discussion by councillors at last month’s West Craven committee meeting, the couple were told the porch would be knocked down within a month.

However Mr and Mrs Owen have appealed that decision and the Government’s independent Planning Inspectorate will make a decision on the appeal.

The outcome will determine whether or not the porch has to be removed.

The dad-of-three, who has sudden death syndrome, said: “I’m getting stressed out every day.

“It’s annoying, frustrating and not doing my heart any good. Nobody told us it was a conservation area. No-one said to stop the job or came out to stop it. What do they expect us to do?”

Neil Watson, Pendle Council’s Planning and Building Control Manager said: “We are conscious of the impact that planning decisions have on people’s lives. But it’s vital that people get planning permission before going ahead with work.

“When people go ahead without it, they run the risk that any building work they have done will have to be removed.”