A PENSIONER has called for bollards or barriers to be installed to stop vehicles from driving into her garden wall and gate.

Dorothy Fleming, 78, said she was ‘devastated’ after discovering the front gate leading into her beloved rose garden had been damaged.

Ms Fleming, of Sydney Avenue, Whalley, suspects that either a car or a van have reversed into the gate, causing it to collapse.

She said it has been a problem for several years and called for bollards or barriers to be put around the pavement surrounding her wall and gate, but to no avail.

Ms Fleming said: “It must have been at around 7.30pm in the evening when I had a knock on a door from neighbours asking if I’d seen my fence.

“The post attaching the gate had come off and the gate itself, while the archway with roses on it was broken in half.

“Someone has clearly driven into it and drove off before anyone could spot them.

“I was shocked and devastated to see this as I’ve spent a lot of years putting my rose garden together.

“Something similar happened a few months ago but it wasn’t as bad and some children had identified who was behind it.”

She added: “My house is on a corner and the wall goes around it and you get people in vans and cars driving into it.

“I’ve reported it to the police but they can’t do a lot about it and the council have told me there’s no money for bollards or barriers which would deter people.”

County council bosses said the introduction of bollards or railings would make the footway ‘unusable’ for some people.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “We understand people’s frustrations when their property is damaged due to poor driving.

“Parking restrictions are in place around this junction to keep it clear for safety and to help drivers to manoeuvre, however the introduction of bollards or railings would make the footway unusable for mobility-impaired users or parents with pushchairs, and there are no solutions that the council can provide at this time.

“This type of incident relies upon the driver stopping and notifying the property owner."

A police spokesman said the incident had been reported to them and that Ms Fleming had been advised to contact her insurance company.