A COUPLE who have been told by the council that their £6,000 extension must be pulled down this week slammed the decision.

Stewart Eaves, 43, and Maureen Gallagher, 56, who live on Blossom Avenue, are disgusted at the way they have been treated and feel their individual circumstances have not been taken into consideration.

Mr Eaves said: "We feel that we are just being used as scapegoats.

"The council has not listened to our story and if it did it would realise that we were completely genuine when we thought that we did not need planning permission."

The outraged couple were told by the builders who built the, UPVC extension on the front of their house that they would not need planning permission, and so the work went ahead.

Mr Eaves said that they had received a great deal of support from most of the estate's residents and he believes that the council has acted upon just one complaint from a neighbour.

He said: "They are saying that it is a conservatory but that it ridiculous.

"It's merely a porch and it doesn't protrude past the front of our house like other porches on the estate do.

"We have been told by the council that there have been a lot of extensions built recently without planning permission so we feel that it is just using our house to make an example of us to others."

The couple wrote a letter to MP Greg Pope, who has written his own letter to Hyndburn Council.

Mr Pope said: "Planning matters are not for me to deal with, but as a representitve of my constituents I feel a push for common sense and goodwill is necessary.

"I think that the response from the council ordering them to pull their extension down was a bit heavy-handed.

"I think the porch is entirely reasonable.

"Obviously, people should get planning permission, but I do want the council to have another look at the extension, and I believe there is a case for common sense.

"I certainly wouldn't say that the extension is out of character for the area, and it is in scale as well, which is an important point."

The couple intend to appeal to the Secretary of State and they say that if it is rejected, they will try to appeal again.

Mr Eaves added: "We will fight this all they way, and if it absolutely has to come down we will not be the ones paying for it."