A NET could be put over the top of a controversial kickabout area in Crescent Road, Cowley, Oxford, to stop balls coming out and hitting people's homes.

Residents living nearby have been plagued by damage from balls smashing windows, breaking guttering and damaging doors after coming over the top of the fence and hitting their homes.

A report on the long-term future of the facility is due to be considered at the September meeting of Cowley's area committee. The committee agreed last Wednesday, to continue an arrangement with Oxford Brookes University, which has student accommodation backing on to the site, for university staff to lock the facility each night as a short-term solution.

Ben Mumby-Croft, who lives in Crescent Road, has, with his neighbours, suffered about £1,000 damage from balls from the kickabout area.

He said: "The current fence is not adequate. It doesn't stop balls coming over. Making repairs to the existing fence isn't really doing anything to solve the problem.

"I'm thoroughly disappointed because we still live with the problem day in, day out and as we see it, nothing has actually been done."

The committee asked for long-term solutions to the problem to include the possibility of completely enclosing the facility.

Mr Mumby-Croft said that was the suggestion he had made to the council when he first brought up the issue two years ago.