A METAL fence that was erected metres from the front of people's homes in Farnworth will be removed after a petition.

Network Rail installed the 2.4m fence above an existing concrete wall in Ivanhoe Street earlier this month.

Residents opposite it felt so aggrieved by the sight of it that they signed a petition to have it lowered and painted green to fit in with the surroundings.

Maria Johnson started the petition after she claimed she was not informed about the fence.

The 46-year-old said: "It's a small road and when I look out my front window that's all I can see. I can't tell you how upset I am. I dread opening my curtains, it makes me feel sick."

Having received over 60 signatures on her petition Miss Johnson sent it to Network Rail who have now decided to take it down.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "The metal fence should not have been put up at this location and Network Rail is investigating in more detail as to why this happened. The fence will be taken down in the coming days and we would like to apologise to local residents for this error."

The company has been doing work on the Manchester to Preston line in front of Miss Johnson's property for 18 months.

The works have been to electrify the railway and Miss Johnson thought that the metal fencing had been installed to prevent people from getting on the track.

Speaking about the decision to remove the fence Miss Johnson said: "I'm absolutely over the moon.

"I'm sure they will replace it with something as that is the argument I have been having with them, they said it was needed for safety reasons.

"But I am ecstatic that it is going. I told them I would not take the decision lying down and it just proves the power of doing a petition."