"Burglars have left my home completely uninhabitable."

A woman who went away to care for her injured mum came home to find all her possessions had been stolen and her house completely stripped.

Lesley Green, 37, of Westwick Gardens, Lincoln, says she found the property completely uninhabitable.

Copper piping, wooden floorboards and even electrical wires had all been removed, leaving gaping holes in the floor and walls.

Among the personal items taken were a stereo system and a wristwatch, which Ms Green says had great sentimental value. The theft happened between July 3 and July 19.

Ms Green, who is a tenant of the property, said she was devastated when she discovered what had happened.

She said: “I worked really hard to get those things in my house and now they’ve been taken away from me.”

She has been a tenant for about three years. On July 3 she moved in with her mother to care for her, following an operation on one of her wrists.

Ms Green only discovered what had happened on July 19 after a friend said they thought someone might have broken in to the house.

She said: “If anything bad happens on that street, everyone just turned their heads.

“I don’t know what can be done. The police are trying, but if no one is going to co-operate, they’re not going to get anywhere.”

Ms Green said she feared for her safety while at Westwick Gardens, saying that she’s “too scared to walk down the street”.

She said: “I’ve had my front windows smashed, and my television cable cut, and now this. But no one will speak up. No one will say anything to the police.”

Russell Clarke, head of maintenance and investment for the City of Lincoln Council, said: “The damage and theft at the property in Westwick Gardens meant we had to cut off the gas supply to make it safe.

“As soon as it’s convenient for the tenants, we will make arrangements to install a new tank and new pipe work and return the property to its former state.”

Police spokesman Dick Holmes said: “This was a very distressing incident which happened while the occupant was away looking after a sick relative.

“She returned to find the house completely ransacked.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on (01522) 882222.