A YOUNG couple have no heating or hot water after a driver crashed into their home.

Sam Tweedy and Zoe Hudson were asleep upstairs when the vehicle smashed into the house.

They were woken by the noise and looked out of the window to see the wreckage of the car on the pavement at 4am on Sunday.

Mr Tweedy, aged 20, said: "I heard the bang and could see a lot of smoke. The car engine was running flat out so I ran outside. The doors were all shut and the car was crushed up, so I had to bend the top of the door open to get the keys out of the ignition.

"The lad in the car was awake, but dozy. The emergency services arrived then and the firemen took the roof and doors off the car to get him out. It wasn't very nice."

The driver, thought to be in his early 20s and from the Leicester area, was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire following the crash at the junction of Hollington Road and High Street, Tean.

The crash badly damaged the front of the house, which Mr Tweedy rents from Stephen and Susan Smith, who live next door.

Mr Smith, aged 49, said: "We didn't hear the crash, Sam rang to tell us what happened.

"We are waiting for a structural engineer to look at the damage before we can do anything.

"The boiler is next to where the car crashed so the gas has had to be turned off in case there are any leaks.

"The corner of the house is going to have to be rebuilt, and we'll have to take the kitchen out.

"It will be a big job that will cost a lot of money."

Sam and Zoe have moved everything upstairs, although they say it is cold without heating or hot water.

Mr Tweedy added: "We've got an electric heater our landlords have given us;- if we didn't have such good landlords we'd be stuffed."

The Smiths can remember a car crashing into the same house about seven years ago and want safety measures.

Mrs Smith, aged 48, said: "We would like a barrier or something to protect the house. We asked the local councillors about it when it happened before, so we will be asking again now.

"Something needs to be done to stop it happening again."

Police are investigating the crash. Witnesses should call 0300 1234455.