Technical Punto MK1: Gearbox or clutch issues! HELP! :(

[willboyes]

i have a 1999 3 door MK1 punto, recently the clutch has been makin a weird grinding noise wen i press it down.
And yesterday when i was driving suddenly it became very difficult to go down gears e.g. 4>3>2>1.
and also it is very difficult to put the car into first gear when i need to pull away?!?!

does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem could be?

 

[charlene homer]

i had very sim prob my clutch pedal stared makin crunchie noises when i pressed it then it started makin tweeting noises when i pressed it in aswell it hated going in 1st and 3rd other gears ok but not great then 1 day i stopped at some traffic lights the pedal went really light went in gear no prob then smoke started pourin out i was right next to a petrol station so drove in there switched it of turned it back on put it in gear then it started makin the loudest grinding crunching noise ever and smoke so had to get it toad to the gargae cuz it wouldnt drive it was well stuck in gear!! i had been to the garage before about the clutch and the noises they said it was the fork arm on the clutch or something and that it wasnt that much of a prob. but after it got stuck in gear i had to have a new clutch and my gear box repaired as it ripped that up!!! and its never been the same since so if i was you i would have a new clutch fitted asap!!! it cost me bout £400 and im still havin probs with the gear box i want to get another 1 but cant find 1 anywhere