Lucky escape as five-ton boulder falls from cliff onto house

STORMS which wreaked havoc across Exmoor and other parts of the Westcountry nearly proved fatal for a Dulverton pensioner.
A five-ton boulder was ripped from a rock face and crashed 60 feet into the back garden of Gwyneth Jarman’s home.
The rock fall flattened two sheds and a fuel tank containing 1,000 litres of inflammable heating oil, squashing the tank against the side of the house.
Fortunately, the boulder then came to rest beside the house in North Moor Road without structurally damaging it.
Mrs Jarman, aged 65, was asleep in bed at the time but was woken by the crash just before 4 am.
Although she escaped any injury, she was ‘extremely shaken-up’ by the incident.
Mrs Jarman said: “I heard the rumbling and the house shook.
“I woke up and did not realise what had happened.
“The boulder would have been in the kitchen if the shed had not been there.”
Devon and Somerset fire and rescue crews were called to check the area and the house itself were safe.
An investigation of the incident was started but it was not yet known how the boulder came loose