Car crashes into house in East Devon

Building control officers from East Devon District Council were called in to assist the emergency services when a car came off the road and was left embedded in the side of a house.

The incident happened on Wednesday morning (20 January) in Fluxton near Ottery St Mary just before 10.30am.

Police and fire services called in the council’s building control team to advise on the structural damage to the property.

The building needed emergency protection works which took several hours to complete before the car could be removed. The officers supervised the works being carried out by contractors on behalf of the home owners' insurers.

Paul Seager, the Council’s Principal Building Control Surveyor and Manager, who attended the scene throughout the day, said: “The building was occupied when the incident occurred. The owners were very fortunate not to be injured despite the external kitchen wall suffering significant damage from the vehicle impact requiring it to be carefully propped to make safe before the vehicle could be recovered and the road reopened.”

Councillor Philip Skinner, East Devon District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy, said: “Our building control team provides an excellent service and is always on hand to assist in emergency situations such as this. Our first priority is always to ensure the safety of people and property, and our team is expert in this field of work.”