A TRAGEDY was narrowly avoided after a car smashed through the front door of a house, just feet from where a father was feeding his three-week-old baby.

Richard Simpson said he could not believe his eyes when he saw the white Seat Cordoba crash into the door of the family home in Liverton Mines, near Saltburn, east Cleveland.

The out-of-control car went through a fence and up the front garden before mounting four steps to hit the door.

Mr Simpson, 27, said: "I was in the front room at the time, feeding my baby son and changing his nappy.

"I heard this almighty smash and, at first, I thought someone had hit the car.

"I went to the front door and there was this other car staring me in the face.

"There was smoke coming out of it and I couldn't get out of the house."

Mr Simpson and his partner evacuated their three other children, aged between two and eight, from the back of the house following the crash, at 8.30pm on Saturday.

Fire crews were called to the house on St Helen's Walk to remove the wreckage of the car, which had begun to leak fuel and anti-freeze. A winch was used to pull the vehicle free.

The father-of-four said: "We were really shook up, as you can imagine.

"I wasn't worried about the damage, I was just really concerned for the kids.

"Fortunately, the three others were up in bed at the time but my daughter wouldnot sleep here on Saturday night.

"She went to her Gran's for the night instead."

The property was not thought to have suffered any serious structural damage although a low wall at the front of the house was destroyed by the impact.

A teenager, believed to have been in the car when it crashed, suffered a bloody nose.

He was treated at the scene by a neighbour.

Cleveland Police confirmed that a 15-year-old boy was arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking and was helping officers with their inquiries.