A DISABLED pensioner has been left with his garden destroyed after paying £3250 to gardeners who never returned to finish their work. William Spence, 80-years-old of Ribblesdale Place in Blackburn, first hired the apparently Bury-based company Birches Gardening Services in February, since his fractured spine has left him unable to do his own gardening. However, after paying the money, the gardeners simple dug up Mr Spence's garden and disappeared, with Mr Spence since discovering that the van the gardeners had arrived in has no tax or insurance. He said: "I had to take a bank loan to be able to afford it and now I can't get anyone reliable to fix it, its a nightmare!"