Arrest after MySpace house party

The house is being professionally cleaned

A 17-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage in connection with a house party which left a family home wrecked.

About 200 youngsters damaged Alan and Elaine Bell's home after the party was advertised on the website MySpace.

Guests are alleged to have urinated on a wedding dress and stolen jewellery from the house near Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, on Easter Monday.

Durham Police said the girl had been questioned and released on police bail.

'Horrible memories'

Mr and Mrs Bell returned on Tuesday morning to find a trail of destruction at their £230,000 house in Chipchase Court.

Mrs Bell, 48, said the couple may have to move out of the house.

She said: "It's absolutely unbelievable. It was a house I'd left at 10am on Monday morning in an immaculate state.

"It's like a house rape - every single room's trashed. Every carpet is burned, they've been stamping out cigarettes on them.

"They urinated in the wardrobes, pulled my clothes out of the wardrobes and stubbed cigarettes out on them. The beds are burnt. There's food and messages all over the walls.

"At this point in time I might not be able to live in the house again - I might have to move because there are so many horrible memories now."

A Durham Police spokesman said some people had travelled hundreds of miles to be at the party.