Petrified families given 10 minutes to leave their homes as mines collapse below their feat

Petrified families were given just 10 minutes to leave their homes as the ground below their feet started to give way.

Some 60 homes in the Scottish former mining village of Coalsnaughton were evacuated over "ground movement", caused by mines collapsing below the earth.

Thirty households on Dunmoss View were cleared on Wednesday, following the evacuation of 30 homes on nearby Benbuck View the previous week.

Council leader Ellen Forson said additional streets could face the same fate.

"Obviously this time last week it was one street and there were no indications that another street would be impacted," she said.

"At this time we can't rule out anything, but the Mining Remediation Authority are the experts on this, they're leading the site investigations."

Before the evacuation, several residents noticed warning signs in their homes.

Margo Brown, who has lived in her housing association property for six years, said her husband spotted a new gap between their gate and gatepost.

"He came into the house and said 'I think we're moving', and that was it," she said.

"The step at the front door has moved so you can get your fingers right in."

The family received conflicting information before being told to leave immediately.

"Ten minutes to get out and that was us," she said. "You feel numb when you're thinking: 'What's going to happen to us?'"

Another family on Dunmoss View, Marc and Laarni Payoyo, had only moved into their home in February.

Mrs Payoyo, 37, noticed cracks appearing at the top of their kitchen wall before the evacuation order came.

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"The night before, we were already hearing strange noises at night," she said.

"We thought: 'That's strange - maybe it's the wind.'"

Aaron Anderson, a father-of-three living on an adjacent street not yet affected, said his anxiety had been sent "through the roof".

The 36-year-old has two 11-year-old twins with autism and fears they could not cope with emergency accommodation options.

The 60 evacuated properties comprise 41 owner-occupied homes, 19 housing association tenants and four council tenants.

Clackmannanshire Council is currently funding all temporary accommodation costs but has acknowledged it will face financial pressures as a small local authority.

Its leader Ms Forson said the council would be approaching both the Scottish and British Governments for potential support.

A Mining Remediation Authority map indicates a mine entry existed on what is now Dunmoss View, with the area marked as having past shallow coal mine workings.

Planning documents for what would become Benbuck View said it was in a "likely zone of influence from workings in two seams of coal at shallow to 50m depth, and last worked in 1875".

Separate documents, meanwhile, showed an old mineshaft outside a home in Dunmoss View.

The authority said it was working closely with the council to inspect reports of new ground movement.

An initial report is expected next week.

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