A STUNNED family found bulldozers trying to knock down their home - while they were still living in it.

Pauline Rain was doing the washing at her home when she heard a loud noise. She ran out to find bulldozers knocking down their 5ft garden wall.

She rang her partner, who then told the local council, which had arranged for the bulldozers to be there. The work was stopped immediately.

Gateshead Council is flattening 300 empty properties in the town as part of a regeneration scheme.

Ms Rain's home, in Ford Street, Gateshead, is earmarked for demolition, but she and her family are still waiting to be rehoused.

She lives with her partner, Waris Ullah, 47, his nine-year-old son, two half-brothers and his half-sister.

Mr Ullah said: "I rang the council and told them what was going on. They stopped it and said it was a mistake. We couldn't believe it."

Mr Ullah has lived in the area for 24 years. He bought the house in 1984 for £11,000 but says he was forced to sell it under a compulsory purchase order after the regeneration project was approved.

A council spokesman said: It was an error by the demolition contractor. Mr Ullah rang us and, as soon as we realised what was happening, we instructed the contractor to stop.

"We have offered a number of properties to him in other areas and are still trying to find a place they are all prepared to move to."