A father survived a massive landslide that partially destroyed his family home because he had gone down to the pub for a pint.
Tom Baker, a 40-year-old accountant, left his six-bed detached property in Hoarwithy in Herefordshire mere minutes before a landslip ripped through his house.
It is believed demolition work on a neighbouring property had undermined a 100ft-high bank behind the houses, sending hundreds of tons of earth and rock crashing down on the Baker’s home.
Luckily, Mr Baker’s wife Suzanne and their three children, aged 14, four and 18 months, were away on holiday at the time.
The father-of-three said: ‘It was more by luck than judgement that I missed it, I missed it by ten minutes. It destroyed my office, I was working in it until 9pm.
‘One of my neighbours messaged me to sign some paperwork, so I wandered down to the pub. I’d just taken the top off the beer, and that was when I got the text.
‘My wife Suzanne, two small children and step daughter, by the grace of God, were away on a rare trip so they missed it, thankfully.’
‘I have absolutely no idea how lucky I got, it was ridiculous.’
Mr Baker’s badly damaged home (pictured: top right with trampoline). The gaping hole left by the landslide has left the living room and the inside of the house clearly visible
Roof damage to a neighbouring property next the Mr Baker’s house. This house has been empty for two years
Mr Baker’s empty next door property. The remains of the neighbouring detached house, which has not been occupied for more than two years, is understood to have been bought by a developer who was in the process of completing its demolition when the landslide happened
Tom Baker (pictured with his wife Suzanna), a 40-year-old accountant, survived a massive landslide which partially destroyed his family home because he had gone to the pub
When he rushed home the ‘shell-shocked’ Mr Baker discovered police and firemen at his devastated family home.
Meanwhile, the gaping hole left by the landslide has left the living room and the inside of the house clearly visible from the road.
The devastated family have had to remove valuables and furniture from the building and seek temporary accommodation elsewhere.
He said: ‘The amount of chaos and suffering we’re now having is extraordinary. Our family home is now destroyed and we’re now homeless.
‘They’ve put us in a temporary accommodation, an Airbnb type property. We have no idea what the next steps are.’
Mrs Baker said in an interview with the BBC: ‘I’m trying to make sense of what had happened. Every time I come out here I end up crying.’
She said a lorry driver was the first to notice an electrical cable was down and alert their neighbours, who called emergency services.
But the end wall of her house was taken out, leaving her in shock.
Mr Baker’s damaged home. It is believed demolition work on a neighbouring property had undermined a 100ft-high bank behind the houses, sending hundreds of tons of earth and rock crashing down
‘They secured the property as best they could to keep things safe and that’s been it really since last Friday,’ she said.
Workmen have spent several days trying to shore up the property and protect the exposed end of the house from rain.
And Herefordshire Council said it was awaiting the results of a survey of the rock face to see if the road adjacent to the properties could safely reopen.
The neighbouring property has been undergoing building work, said ward councillor David Davis, who has visited the site to speak to those affected.
He said a previous landslip further up the road just over a year ago had caused the route to shut for months.
‘Boulders came down onto the highway and the road was closed until that could be rectified,’ he added.
Herefordshire Highways teams attended the scene shortly after the landslip happened, the council said.
The authority said it had since been in touch with the landowner who was ‘taking steps to address the situation’, adding that building control workers had inspected affected properties.
The road leading to Mr Baker’s home cordoned off for safety. Herefordshire Council said it was awaiting the results of a survey of the rock face to see if the road adjacent to the properties could safely reopen
The devastated family have had to remove valuables and furniture from the building and seek temporary accommodation elsewhere
The remains of the neighbouring detached house, which has not been occupied for more than two years, is understood to have been bought by a developer who was in the process of completing its demolition when the landslide happened.
A council spokesperson said: ‘Herefordshire Highways teams attended the scene of the landslip on Friday shortly after it occurred.
‘The incident has affected two properties and occurred on private land. The road has been closed at this location for safety reasons.
‘The council has been in contact with the landowner, who is taking steps to address the situation, and our building control team has inspected the affected properties.
‘An engineer has also assessed the rockface, and we are awaiting the results of their investigation to determine when the road can safely reopen.
‘We will continue to provide updates on this issue as we have them.
‘In the meantime, we ask all motorists and residents to respect the road closure and follow the diversions that have been put in place.’
