DISABLED Anthony Eddleston claims he has been made a virtual prisoner in his own home by youngsters running riot in the street.

Mr Eddleston, 62, who only has one arm because of an industrial accident when he was 15, claims the vandals have cut his phone line three times before and have now done the same to his digital TV cable.

He said he was scared to go out of his house in Maple Street, Blackburn, for fear of what might happen next.

He said: "I haven't got a clue who they are or why they are doing it, but it means I don't go out of my house at night any more. I am stuck in the house after dark.

"A load of them were shouting abuse outside my back door the other day and last night at about 2.30am I woke up and I could hear someone talking outside. When I got up this morning I found my phone and my Sky cable had been cut.

"I'm lucky I have a mobile phone or I would be completely cut off from the outside world."

Mr Eddleston, who lives alone, only moved in to the rented accommodation about three months ago. In November he was featured in the Telegraph when vandals cut his phone line twice during one of the worst weather weekends of the year.

Mr Eddleston has been told by British Telecom they won't be able to repair the phone line until Monday at the earliest and by Sky that they will let him know when they can come out to fix the TV line.

BT have advised Mr Eddlestone to look at the security of his house as there is little they can do if someone is determined to cut a phone line.

A police spokesman said they were investigating the incidents, which may be part of a neighbourhood dispute.