HGVs are blamed for roof collapse

By chill

RESIDENTS living near a partially collapsed house have blamed heavy goods vehicles for the problem.

More than 100 bricks fell from a mid-terrace home in Campbell Road, Stoke, at about 10.30am yesterday.

No-one was in the property at the time, and there were no pedestrians or passing motorists in the vicinity but debris was strewn across the street, damaging two parked cars.

Police were called to the scene and cordoned off the house and closed the road for the rest of the day.

Keith Holdcroft, specialist support manager for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, was at the scene assessing the damage.

He said: "The bricks had fallen from roof level onto the forecourt and the pavement. Further investigation showed the roof has spread, forcing the brickwork out.

"We are speaking to the building owner, who is in touch with his insurance company, but for the meantime, the danger has been removed.

"About five or six rows of bricks fell, with about 20 bricks in each row so there were more than 100 dislodged in total. This is not rare. I have seen it on numerous occasions before."

Diversions were set up to direct traffic away from Campbell Road. Neighbours who know the homeowner say he was not in when it happened because he has been staying with relatives for some time.

Patricia Grady lives nearby. She said: "For years we have been saying something like this is going to happen. The houses are sound but the vibrations from the lorries passing by are too much.

"There is a tonnage limit on this road but no-one is enforcing it."

The street remained partially closed last night and one of the families living next door to the collapsed house moved out as a precaution.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman confirmed there had been no injuries and that officers were helping to keep people away from the site while the engineers carry out their work.

Joseph Anthony runs a hair salon in Campbell Road. He said: "When I heard what had happened I was worried it might have been due to subsidence and that there may be a domino effect along the street."

Stoke and Trent Vale ward member, councillor Paul Billington, arrived on the scene shortly after the incident.

He was amazed no-one was hurt. He said: "If this had happened a couple of hours earlier when the road was much busier, then people could easily have been seriously injured or even killed.

"Having spoken to one of the structural engineers on the site, it appears the eaves of the house gave way and bricks slipped forward and fell onto the pavement.

"I think we have been very, very fortunate and I want to thank the police and the council for their prompt action."