A FATHER is fuming after roadworkers dug up his children's rockery to widen a footpath at the bottom of his garden.

Mark Grieves says his three young children were devastated when they saw what had happened to their garden.

Mr Grieves says the workers told him they were widening the footpath outside his home at Thornton-le-Clay, near Malton, to comply with European Union safety directives.

"Last week my wife and I were woken up at 7am by workmen outside our house," he said.

"They had pulled up plants and a rockery my children have worked hard on and just thrown them into our garden."

The children, eight-year-old twins Venetia and Clarice and ten-year-old Camilla, were left in tears.

"They have extended the width of the existing footpath into my garden by digging a ditch two feet wide, but anything which was planted there has just been pulled up," said Mr Grieves.

"I don't think the land is part of my property, but for the last 15 years we have treated it as part of our garden and maintained it.

"To have someone just come along and destroy all that without giving us any notice or warning is ridiculous."

"I have been in touch with the parish council and I was told by one member that they had not been informed about the work.

"We've tried our best to make the village look nice and then you get the council coming along and riding roughshod over everyone's good work."

The workmen are believed to have been employed by North Yorkshire County Council. No one from the council was available to comment today.

Updated: 11:12 Monday, April 15, 2002