Council workers gut graphic designer's house by mistake

Council labourers have gutted the ground floor of an unsuspecting graphic designer's new home while she was on holiday after an administrative mix-up.

They only stopped tearing out the kitchen, bathroom and ground floor carpets in the house after neighbours alerted council officials, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Miss Walton, 37, only bought the property in Stoke-on-Trent recently for £68,500 after the City Council bought her previous home for £71,00 through a compulsory purchase to make way for regeneration of the Hanley area of the city.

She said: "The incompetence of what has happened here is unreal. Not only are they knocking down my current home, they've torn apart my new one."

The mistake is thought to have occurred because Miss Walton's new home shared the same number as the property which the council labourers were supposed to be working on.

When they found that the key they had did not work on Miss Walton's property they drilled the lock.

Cllr Adrian Knapper, spokesman for regeneration and economic development at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "As soon as the council became aware of what had happened an apology for the error was given to Miss Walton."

The council has offered to repair all the damage.