AN ALLOTMENT holder has appealed to council bosses to mend a broken fence in a bid to combat vandals after teenagers torched his greenhouse.

Bob Boardman, 64, of Longshaw Lane, Blackburn, watched as the greenhouse and contents -- worth a total of £1,000 -- went up in flames at Sunnybank Allotments on Marlton Road.

Mr Boardman claimed the arsonists entered through a gap in a fence, which had been reported to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, which is responsible for repairs, nearly two months earlier.

Today a council officer admitted the damaged fence had been reported eight weeks ago.

"We'd been waiting for some more fencing to arrive but that doesn't help me now," said Mr Boardman, who is assistant site supervisor at Beardwood Secondary School, Blackburn.

"I'm gutted because I retire next year and I was looking forward to spending a bit more time on there. I'll have to buy near enough a new greenhouse but I can't afford it just at the moment."

Mr Boardman said vandals used the hole in the fence to sneak on to the site so they didn't have to walk through the main entrance in full view.

He said was able to salvage most of his tools from the fire but all his tomato and potato plants and several plant pots and bags of compost were destroyed.

Station Officer Kevin Gibson said firefighters were called to the fire just after 10pm on April 14.

He said eye-witnesses saw four youths running away from the scene just after the fire broke out and the incident was being treated as arson.

Mr Gibson suspected the youths smashed panes of glass to get the greenhouse and set fire to materials inside, then fled as the flames spread to an attached wooden shed.

A spokesman for Blackburn police confirmed investigations were taking place but said no arrests had been made. Neither the police nor the fire service could say with certainty how the youths got on to the site.

Donna Hall, executive director for corporate resources at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, confirmed the fence was reported damaged about eight weeks ago. She said the repair work had been on a council contractor's waiting list but expected it to be carried out this week and added: "There is no evidence the teenagers had climbed through it to start the fire."