'When I tell you the house was shaking, it really was. We were in bed and all of a sudden there was a huge bang'

Houses were 'shaking' as bricks 'just kept crumbling' when strong Storm Jocelyn winds blew down part of a wall in Heywood on Wednesday morning (January 24).

Residents on Siddall Street were suddenly woken up after hearing an 'almighty' bang, before they were swiftly evacuated in the middle of the night. Bricks from the gable end of a terraced house continued to crumble and fall to the ground, even landing on top of a car and part of the house next door.

The drama unfolded shortly before 1am, as fire crews raced to the scene and cordoned off the road and the affected residents were evacuated. Those living in the house involved remain unable to return due to safety checks being carried out by surveyors, it is understood.

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Next door neighbours Luke Balicki, who lives in the adjoining house with his wife Jasmine and daughter Heidi, were suddenly woken up by the noise at around 12.45am. Minutes later, the emergency services flooded their street.

"I have never heard a bang like it in my life," Luke said. "When I tell you the house was shaking, it really was. We were in bed and all of a sudden there was this huge bang, like it was coming from outside.

"I didn't think anything of it at first as I couldn't see anything from out the front window. Then I heard next door shouting so I went out and that was it."

Luke said the tumbling bricks landed onto the neighbour's car on the driveway, part of a canopy roof and also their fence. Dramatic pictures from the scene show the area taped off, with a pile of bricks completely covering next door's land.

Luke, his wife and daughter, along with the family living in the house involved, were then welcomed into another