An investigation was launched today after part of a brand new home collapsed, forcing neighbours to be rehoused.

The gable end of a house on the new Persimmon Homes estate at Aiskew, near Bedale, fell while underpinning work was being carried out.

No-one was hurt in the incident but the house - at the end of a terrace of three near the railway line fronting on to the A684 - was yesterday being demolished.

Although the house had been sold subject to contract it was still unoccupied and yesterday afternoon the builders were meeting with the new owner.

However the other two homes on the block had been sold and moved into - and their occupants have been rehoused while structural engineers carry out further checks.

Hambleton's head of development services Maurice Cann said the underpinning work was being carried out to ensure stability should any work have to be carried out on a nearby main drain in the future.

"This is a very serious incident and it's very rare that something like this should happen," he said.

"We will be keeping very closely involved in what's happening. It's too early to say what's gone wrong but the first thing to be looked at will be the working practices involved."

The managing director of York-based Persimmon Homes, Ian Hessay, said they had been doing some civil engineering work near the house which resulted in the foundations becoming unstable.

"We are waiting for reports on the two properties adjacent and we have made alternative accommodation available for the occupants until we have checked the structural integrity," he said.

He added they would be looking at all the issues raised at the earliest opportunity. .