Villagers evacuated as ‘ground movement’ sparks fears old mines are collapsing

People living in 30 homes in Dunmoss View in Coalsnaughton in Clackmannanshire have been asked to leave their homes over the last 48 hours.

It follows the evacuation of another 30 homes at nearby Benbuck View last week.

Locals are reporting lifted paving stones and cracks appearing in gardens, walls, floors and roads.

An "incident" causing ground movement was confirmed to have taken place by the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA).

It is investigating the cause while affected families have been moved into temporary accommodation.

Resident of Dunmoss View, Laarni Payoyo has spoken about her family’s situation.

She said: "In the morning we were actually woken up by people talking on the street, and we thought ’what’s that noise?’ "The night before, we were already heard strange noises. We thought it was probably the wind.

"It’s a hassle because my three kids go to school in Tillicoultry and Alva.

"We’re still processing and praying because we just moved in here four months ago.

’’We’re just taking things one day at a time and it’s a good thing that we can get our stuff.

"In our house it’s pretty bad, the cracks are very noticeable."

Affected families who live at Benbuck View are have been staying in temporary accommodation since Monday.

One local resident said: "They’ve been aware since this morning that there was movement overnight.

"There were pavement slabs going up, cracks in buildings, doors not fitting in frames, just almost exactly what happened with Benbuck View.

"People are just going to their family and friends. It’s a real time of uncertainty and people are looking to understand what happens next.

"There are so many circumstances at play here and people further up the hill will be wondering ’are we next in line?’"

One resident said that she had recently decorated her home, and was looking forward to spending a day off in the garden. She said it was upsetting having to pack everything up and go.

Clackmannanshire Council chief executive Nikki Bridle said: "Alongside our partners at the Mining Remediation Authority and the chair of the Local Resilience Partnership, our Council Leader Ellen Forson and I met with Keith Brown MSP and Brian Leishman MP today to bring them up to date on the complex and evolving situation following ground movement in parts of Coalsnaughton.

"We discussed the ongoing work of the Local Resilience partners to keep everyone involved safe and to provide guidance and support for the residents affected.

"The Mining Remediation Authority discussed the specialist investigations they are continuing to carry out, which are expected to take some time to complete.

"We confirmed that we will continue to make sure that residents are updated with progress as soon as this information becomes available."

A spokesperson from the MRA said: "The priority of all Local Resilience Partners continues to be the safety of everyone involved, and we are doing everything we can to support Clackmannanshire Council and those affected and respond as quickly and safely as possible.

"Work is continuing at pace to establish the cause of this incident, with multiple specialist teams on site undertaking detailed engineering assessments.

"Traffic management and additional security measures have been put in place, and we continue to work with Clackmannanshire Council to manage local services. Utility providers are ensuring that utility supplies are being safely isolated where required."