Trailer pulled by a tractor smashes into the side of a house in a picturesque rural village and leaves a huge 12ft by 8ft hole
- Trailer pulled by a tractor has destroyed the side wall of a family home
- It has left eight to 12-foot cracks in the structure, which is held up by scaffolding
- Owners of the home in Child Okeford, Dorset, are believed to have been away
A trailer pulled by a tractor has shattered the side of a house in a picturesque countryside village after it slammed into the family home.
Huge eight to 12-foot cracks have appeared in the side of the building in Child Okeford, Dorset, that is being held up with scaffolding.
The vehicle was kept in place overnight as it was feared any further movement would cause the building to collapse.
A trailer pulled by a tractor has shattered the side wall of a family home in a picturesque rural village after it slammed into the house
After the impact it was left in place overnight, following fears the house could collapse, before scaffolding was erected to support the building
There were no reports of any injuries, although the tractor driver was described as ‘quite upset’ afterwards.
It is believed that the family who live in the property were on holiday when it happened.
A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘A tractor’s trailer took out the end of a house in Child Okeford.
‘I heard the bang from my house. They can’t move the trailer yet because it’s propping up the rest of the building.
‘There are cracks up the wall stretching about 12 or 14 feet.
‘It’s taken out the whole side of the house and left a big hole. You can see right into the stairwell.
‘The lad driving the tractor seemed quite upset.
‘It’s lucky with the amount of damage that the roof didn’t come down.’
The family that live in the house are believed to have been on holiday when it happened
The home pictured before the smash in Child Okeford, north Dorset. The village dates back to the Domesday Book (1086) when it is first recorded as Acford
Police and fire crews attended the incident at 1.50pm on Thursday.
A Dorset Police spokesperson said: ‘We were called to reports of an incident involving a tractor whose trailer that had collided with a house on Duck Street, Child Okeford, near Blandford.
‘There is believed to be structural damage to the building, so the local authority and fire service were also called to the scene.’
The ancient village of Child Okeford, population 1,114, is nestled in the Blackmore Vale in the North Dorset countryside.
It was recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) as Acford.