Side of Egremont house falls into River Ehen

Water damage caused the side of a house to fall into the River Ehen at Egremont in Cumbria, police have said.

The Bridge End property was empty at the time and it is thought flooding caused the rear wall to break away.

The building was so badly damaged that demolition work was ordered and surrounding structures made safe.

No-one was hurt in the collapse, but two nearby homes were evacuated as engineers said there was a danger of falling debris.

Police said roads would be closed in the surrounding area "for some time".

Falling debris

The collapse caused a gas leak, but it has now been made safe.

A joint statement from Cumbria Police, Copeland Council and the Environment Agency said: "The rear of the property collapsed early on Tuesday and following structural assessments the building is now being taken down.

"The house was not occupied at the time and the owners are aware of the situation.

"The residents of the neighbouring property were away at the time of the collapse and that property remains safe at this time.

"Two nearby homes were evacuated to eliminate the risk of falling debris."

A temporary flood defence is being put in place while the demolition, overseen by Copeland Council, takes place.

A flood alert remains in place for the River Ehen.