Rugby home collapse family 'overwhelmed' by support

Araial Ilustre and his family were forced to move after their house collapsed on Wednesday

A family say they are overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community which has raised £3,000 to support them after the side of their home collapsed.

The Ilustres risked becoming homeless when the gable end of the property on Claremont Road, Rugby, came down at about 02:00 BST on Wednesday.

But they were put in a hotel overnight and then found council accommodation.

And with public fundraising under way to help further, they say they are now "bravely moving forward".

A charity has also supplied furniture for the temporary accommodation into which they have moved.

In a statement, the Ilustre family - NHS workers Araial and Mel and their three children - said: "We appreciate the kindness in the hearts of the whole of the Rugby community.

"We only hope that everything will go back to normal soon."

The family were away when the incident occurred.

Martin Pitcher, from the estate agency which managed the property the Ilustres were forced to leave, said construction work had been taking place on the site next to the house, but the cause of the collapse was not yet known.

Rugby Borough Council said an investigation had been launched, with a structural engineer sent to assess the damaged home.

When the end of the house fell away, rooms were left exposed, with debris and possessions strewn across the street.

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The family has been moved to temporary accommodation

"The family is coping," said local councillor and family friend Jim Ellis.

"Araial is keeping his sense of humour, but at the same time you can see he's very worried."

Mr Ellis said a charity had donated furniture for the family's new address "to make it feel more like a home" and "calm the nerves".