Overview
- Hundreds of tonnes of earth and rock slid down a roughly 100ft bank at about 9pm last Friday, tearing through a family home and damaging a neighbouring property in Hoarwithy, Herefordshire.
- The homeowner narrowly avoided injury after leaving his home office minutes before the collapse, while his wife and three children were away at the time.
- Emergency services sealed off the area and closed the C1261 for safety, and the displaced family have been moved into temporary accommodation as insurers and engineers assess the damage.
- Herefordshire Council says building control has inspected the affected properties, an engineer has assessed the rockface, and survey findings will determine when the road can safely reopen.
- Residents have questioned whether nearby demolition and tree clearance weakened the slope, the developer denies causing the slide, and the council’s investigation continues.