A family of six have been left homeless for months after a car smashed into their home on Saturday, leaving it too unstable to live in.

Lisa Manning, 33, was at home in Silveston Way, Malmesbury, with her her son Gary, 15, her partner Richard Woolliams, and their three children, Joshua, eight, Ella, 18 months, and Jake, five months, when the accident happened.

The family were sitting in the living room and Ms Manning was lying on the sofa with severe toothache.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and the lounge wall, a few feet behind the sofa, shook, knocking plaster off the wall.

Ms Manning and Mr Woolliams ran outside and saw the car embedded in the side of their house.

She said: "I didn't know who to phone so I rang the police. They said get everyone out of the house. As soon as I put the phone down I heard a siren."

She ran back indoors and grabbed her baby from upstairs.

Ms Manning said: "It was really scary. I just thought the house was going to go. One minute we were enjoying our Saturday afternoon and the next minute our world was turned upside down."

The accident happened after a neighbour's friend reversed a Ford Cavalier out of the drive and swung round in a U-turn, hitting the house.

A 19-year-old local man was arrested at the scene and is helping police with their inquiries.

"Going by the damage he must have been driving at some speed," said PC Simon Pope of Malmesbury Police.

Three fire engines, police cars and an ambulance attended the scene.

Ms Manning's oldest son is staying with his grandmother, while the rest of the family are sharing a Chippenham hotel room. This is costing Warden Housing Association, which owns their home, £408 a week, while the family have to pay £11.40 a person.

The family are now trying to find private accommodation with the help of Warden.

Ms Manning said: "It is going to take four to six months to fix. They have to rebuild two sides of the house. A gust of wind or heavy rain and they don't know what would happen. I just keep bursting into tears. It is not as if it is our fault."