WORK has started on repairing a cottage which partly collapsed into a main road.

A huge clear-up operation began just hours after a cob wall of the 19th century property was reduced to rubble.

The incident happened as the home's owners, a couple and their young son, were waking up.

The family had a lucky escape as the collapsed part of the cottage was uninhabited at the time.

Owner Jeremy Honeywill, 36, a manager with South West Water, told the Echo the family had been living in the Grade II listed property in Bridge View, Rockbeare, near Exeter for 18 months and were in the process of renovating it.

Piles of rubble were loaded into a large skip yesterday as efforts were made to remove the remainder of the roof and stabilise the rest of the wall.

And personal belongings, including children's toys, a Christmas tree box and a bed, which were visible among the rubble following the incident, had been taken away.

A tarpaulin sheet has been placed over the collapsed wall, covering most of the devastation.

Fire crews attended the incident on Wednesday morning and Western Power isolated electrics to the house.

Firefighters put in place a cordon to prevent people walking next to the collapsed property and vehicles from passing by in case further parts of the building fell into the road.

But the cordon had been removed yesterday and the road had been cleared.

Stunned neighbours and passers-by stopped to look at the collapsed cottage, with some saying it was lucky no one had been killed.

The family had been living in a chalet in the garden while the property was renovated but had been sleeping in the house at night.

Mr Honeywill described the moment he realised his house had collapsed.

"I had just woken up and got out of bed when the alarm went off at 6.30am.

"I heard a crash, it sounded like a rumble and then I heard all the glass break.

"Our bedroom is on the other side of the house, but I could see what had happened when I came out on to the landing."

He added: "It could have been a whole lot worse but you can't live by 'what ifs'."

Work to repair damage to the collapsed part of the cottage is expected to take a considerable period of time.

Mr Honeywill told the Echo it would cost "tens of thousands of pounds".