All the houses in East Mount Road, York, were built between 1860 and 1870, and, according to a clause in the deeds, the windows should not be altered.

But now 130-year-old timber sash windows belonging to the only City of York Council-owned house on the street have been replaced with plain glass and moulded plastic.

Scarcroft Residents Association Chairman Josie Goode said: "I have lived in this city all my life and I WAS 'Proud To Be York'. But I am absolutely appalled by this. It is sheer vandalism.

"The council is supposed to be a custodian of our heritage and it should be proud of our city and a Victorian Street like this.

"We have always stuck very carefully to its rules because this street is a conservation area. If we applied to cut a tree branch on this street it would refuse it."

Neighbour Jill Clark added: "The whole street is talking about nothing else. We are all dreadfully upset.

"Not everyone here has a lot of money to spare, but we all feel very strongly about the quality of these houses and we all spend that little bit extra to make sure everything is in keeping with the style."

Fellow resident and conservationist Ross Dallas, who until four years ago worked as a surveyor for English Heritage, added: "It looks just ghastly and it is a terrible shame. It looks as if the house's eyes have been put out."

A spokesman for City of York Council said its customers prefered uPVC double-glazed windows and that it was cheaper.

"When we came to paint this home, as we do every six years, the windows were in a poor condition and needed replacing.

"Our customer was naturally very pleased as the new windows will mean that the home will be warmer, more secure and quieter.

"In carrying out the work we have retained the main features of the bay window and the sash lines to the bedroom windows."

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