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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ryan Carroll

Joyriders plough BMW into house leaving mum and her three children homeless

A single mum and her three children have been left homeless after joyriders ploughed a BMW into their house.

Sharon Herd, 31, said she had a lucky escape and her and her three young boys Calum, 8, Kai 5, and Mason, 2 were not home - but they've been forced to move out after the property was deemed a safety hazard.

A police probe is underway after the blue 4x4 crashed into the family's home on Clarimalt Drive in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, at around 8.30am on Monday.

The incident was captured on a neighbour's Ring doorbell camera and shows the luxury motor drive at speed into the house before two men clamber from the wreckage and flee the scene, reports the Daily Record.

Sharon said: "I had been up at my mum's house that morning as I care for her and just happened to be getting the kids ready for school there.

"Usually I’d be in the house around 8am, but my mum hasn't been well recently so I've been going up in the morning more often.

Sharon and her three children Calum (7) Kai (5) and Mason (2) have been unable to return to their house (Daily Record)

"The car drove into the street and crashed into my house at full force.

"It smashed through the side of my house where my stairs and downstairs toilet are.

"Had we been home, myself or my kids would have been hit as they all get ready for school in that toilet.

"My neighbour called me to see if we were home and I arrived there 10 minutes later to ambulances, fire services and police everywhere."

Footage shows the speeding car smashing into the side of the house.

Sharon and her children are now living in her mother's house and have been unable to return to the council property, even to collect their belongings.

Fears that the building could collapse also forced Sharon's next door neighbour to evacuate their home.

It's currently unclear when the family will be able to return to the property.

Fife Council offered the family emergency accommodation at a B&B but two of Sharon's sons have autism and wouldn't be able to cope in a cramped room together.

Sharon and her children are now living in her mother's house and have been unable to return to the council property, even to collect their belongings (Daily Record)

The family are sleeping on Sharon's mum's floor while they wait for a temporary two bedroom house to be ready for them.

Sharon said: "I’m not allowed inside my house as it’s so unstable and could collapse.

"I have no belongings for myself or my children as everything I own is in the house. The council took the keys and the locks were changed to stop anyone getting in.

"Fife Council wanted to place us in a B&B but my sons have autism so they wouldn’t settle in a small room and would possibly destroy it during meltdowns.

"They have now offered me a two bed house temporarily but it won’t be ready for sometime yet so I am sleeping on my mother's living room floor with my three children.

"My two eldest boys are autistic and rely on routine. This has devastated them.

"Not knowing what has been damaged inside our home is difficult for them to deal with."

The incident was captured on a neighbour's Ring doorbell camera and shows the luxury motor drive at speed into Sharon's house (Daily Record)

Sharon, a full time carer to her mother and children, added: "I’m a single parent and have brought my kids up alone so the one thing I have to be proud of is the home I built with my kids - and now it’s gone.

"I don’t know when I'll get back into my house but it’s looking like it could be several months.

"The council have helped me as much as possible but there is only so much they can do so.

"I just have to rely on the help from my family and the kids school."

Officers say their enquiries to trace those responsible remain ongoing.

The family are sleeping on Sharon's mum's floor (Daily Record)

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers received report of a car having struck a property on Clarimalt Drive in Kirkcaldy. No one was injured as a result of the crash and enquiries into the incident are ongoing.”

Housing Manager with Fife Council Elaine Campbell said the council stepped in to support the families affected following Monday’s incident.

She said: “We’ve offered emergency accommodation and financial help if it was needed as it wasn’t safe to allow people back into their homes.

“Engineers are now working on site and we’re waiting for their report to confirm when it will be safe for people to get into their houses. We’re keeping in touch with everyone affected to keep them updated on progress during this difficult time.”

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