Home wrecked in car crash had just been renovated

Owner Mark Talbot-Phillips said working on the house had helped him cope with cancer

A couple whose home was turned into rubble when a car crashed through their front room say they had only just finished renovating it.

Mark Talbot-Phillips, who lives with partner Marc, said working on the house near Martock in Somerset had been therapeutic while he recovered from cancer.

"I spent years updating the house," Mr Talbot-Phillips said. "It took my mind off the cancer and it helped me through some very dark days.

"Unfortunately, all that effort has now gone. It was just wiped away. It is very difficult to come to terms with that."

A black Audi A4 crashed into the home at Long Load Road in Stapleton in the early hours of 6 July.

Mr Talbot-Phillips said that although the building was "just bricks and mortar" and "can be replaced", the incident had been "incredibly traumatic".

"It was truly unbelievable," he said. "It was something out of a disaster movie."

The couple said neighbours helped remove rubble after the crash

The couple said it could take more than a year to rebuild the property due to the availability of local hamstone, which still has to be quarried.

They are currently living in about 40% of the house, in an upstairs bedroom and the kitchen – "and with two cats", they said.

"Winter is going to be quite interesting. It's nice and warm at the moment but we'll probably be suffering in the winter," Mr Talbot-Phillips said.

He said that neighbours had given them "unbelievable support" following the crash.

"They were around our house with buckets and brooms, helping to move the rubble from our house," he said.

"An older couple made us lunch and dinner that night."

Avon and Somerset Police said the investigation into the accident was ongoing and no charges had been made.