A PRIVATELY owned cottage in Stanbury Court, Crediton, which recently partially collapsed, has since been taken down over safety concerns.

A spokesperson for Mid Devon District Council said: “The fire service contacted NMD Building Control while they were in attendance on site as a section of the cob wall had collapsed and they were concerned the remaining unrestrained walls presented a danger to the public.

“After consulting a structural engineer it was decided the only safe course of action was to have the unrestrained walls taken down.”

The Cott was joined to the premises of Adams Home Hardware store, which is run by the Adams family.

David Adams said: “A guy bought the cottage at auction and took the roof off, and it was left open to the elements for a couple of months.

“A few weeks ago one wall of the cottage completely collapsed and a builder was asked by MDDC to make it secure, so they put up extra scaffolding.

“MDDC then told him he had to remove the other walls to make it safe.

“There is an electric substation next to the house and part of the building fell on it. It was checked by South Western Power and National Grid and was deemed to be safe.”

The Cott was sold by Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers for £50,500 as it had a Category 1 and 2 Prohibition Order served by Mid Devon District Council.

The upstairs of the cottage had been home to a number of pigeons for the past nine or 10 years, whilst an elderly man had lived downstairs.

The windows of the cottage were boarded up in June last year by Mid Devon District Council rendering the pigeons “homeless”.

Boards over the two upstairs windows were later removed after involvement from the RSPCA and the pigeons returned to their roost.

The pigeons are now apparently looking bewildered that their home has totally disappeared.

Nora Parminter