Collapse alert for rain-hit homes

The gable end crashed onto a public footpath

Stone-built homes close to a house which partially collapsed in Gateshead after heavy rain, could also be at risk, council bosses have warned.

An elderly couple in Theresa Street escaped serious injury when the gable end collapsed last month.

Gateshead Council said tests indicated lime mortar used in the house had become weak after torrential rain.

Homeowners nearby have now been urged to get their properties checked by a structural engineer.

Anneliese Hutchinson, head of regulatory services for Gateshead Council, said: "Many properties in this area are constructed using rubble with a dressed stone outer face.

'Lost adhesion'

"It is a common and generally robust way of constructing a house, but the strength of these buildings depend on the strength of the lime mortar holding the stone together.

"Our investigations have led us believe that, due to the age of the property in Theresa Street, the mortar had lost its adhesion and this contributed to its collapse.

"We have therefore decided to advise people who occupy similar properties in the vicinity that it is possible that, due to its age, their home might also have similarly weak mortar, and that they would be well advised to have this checked."

He added: "We have no wish to spread alarm, but we thought homeowners would probably want to know if there was a potential problem with stone-built properties in this area."

The authority said some homeowners faced with major repairs could get cash help.