A COUPLE are living in fear that their Southampton home could collapse at any moment after a van crashed into the side of it.

Geoff and Sheila Goff have been told they face three months of repair work at their four-bedroom house in Midanbury, Southampton, after a Parcelforce vehicle rolled into a wall and got stuck.

It could cost up to £80,000 to make the house safe again after the collision sent a shockwave through the structure, causing a giant crack that stretches along one side of the building.

It was feared that moving the van would see the wall collapse, so the couple were left with the van sticking out of the corner of their home until experts were brought in.

They have moved their belongings to the other side of the house in Litchfield Crescent and remain living there, but are worried the worst could happen at any time.

Mr Goff, 60, said: “We had to get the structural engineer from the council out and he said he was worried the wall would fall down and that they thought the van was holding it up.

“You never think about this sort of thing until it happens and you don’t realise how much trouble it can cause.”

But he could still see a brighter side to the predicament, quipping: “After everything that happened, they left the parcel next door!”

Mrs Goff, a supervisor at shipping company NYK Line, added: “Our initial reaction was thank God no one was hurt.

“At first police would not let us in the house and when we eventually got in we were just so shocked.

“They suggested we go to a Travelodge but we have two cats and we didn’t want to leave, so we moved everything to the other side of the house.”

The couple confirmed their insurance would pay for the repairs and that they had no plans to take action against the van driver or Parcelforce.

It is understood the driver tried to stop the van rolling into the house when it happened on Tuesday and was badly bruised in the process.

Contractors Topmarx removed the van on Saturday and installed temporary steel beams to support the wall.

Site manager Dave Pearson said: “We have put in needle beams in to support the brick work and we are winching the van out. If we didn’t do this the house would fall down.”