As reported in the Mail yesterday, a Vauxhall Omega car smashed through the garden wall of the house in St Paul's Road, Hartlepool, before ploughing into the front of the property.

Michelle Lennox, 42, was playing on her PlayStation with boyfriend Michael Sparks and pal Bryan Binyon when the accident happened at 11pm on Tuesday.

Michelle said: "I always sit in a rocking chair in the bay window at the front of the house, right next to the window.

"I saw the headlights coming down the street and heard the screeching of brakes, and the next thing I knew the chair I was sitting on had been moved across the room and the wall from underneath the window had collapsed around my feet.

"It was terrifying, there was just a massive bang.

"I think myself lucky that the garden wall took the impact first, because if the car had gone straight into the front of the house I would have been killed."

Deano Westall, 29, rents the room upstairs and described the impact as being "like a volcano".

Deano said: "I heard the car coming down Hutton Avenue, and I actually got up and looked out of the window so I saw it come through the wall and into the house.

"The whole house shook, it was like a volcano. I raced downstairs to where the other three where, and to be honest we're lucky we're not talking about people being killed."

A man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after the incident.

The 24-year old, who has not been named, was also arrested for the alleged theft of a motor vehicle, driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: "A 24-year old man is assisting police with inquiries."