A shocked mother is facing a £10,000 bill after a huge sinkhole deeper than a double-decker bus appeared overnight in her back garden, almost swallowing her daughter's trampoline. Insurers say it hasn't damaged Gretel Davidson's home in Barnehurst, south east London, so they won't payout for any repairs. The collapse comes as a 10-mile section of a busy motorway remains closed because of a 15ft-deep sinkhole in the central reservation. Gretel Davidson is facing a £10,000 bill after a huge sinkhole appeared overnight in her back garden . Gretel Davidson thought her daughter Mia, 12, was exaggerating when she called her to say a huge black hole had appeared in the middle of their lawn. The 55-year-old didn't realise the extent of the hole until she got home and peered into the void last Wednesday. Insurers say it hasn't damaged Gretel's home so they won't be paying her any money to fix the problem . Gretel, a radiographer at Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, Kent, said: 'I just feel totally helpless. Mia rang me to say "Mum there is a massive hole in the garden". 'I didn't really believe her and just thought she was going over the top. It is just unbelievable to think a hole that size could appear overnight and out of nowhere.' She added: 'I got in touch with the council but they said they couldn't help because it's my own property. 'I then got in touch with Halifax, my home insurance, and they said the hole is too far away from my home so they couldn't help either. 'I am just devastated. I spent the whole weekend crying and have been doing everything I can to try and sort it out."' Structural engineer Dan Baker, director of D J B Structural Engineers Ltd in Erith, looked at the hole and is drawing up an action plan. He said: 'It is a naturally occurring oblique swallow hole. It could cost upwards of £10,000 to fix. 'It is just one of those things you cannot predict - a total act of God. 'They are not common but they have been known to happen in this area in the past. 'Thankfully nobody was in the garden because someone could have died. We have got to make it safe as soon as possible.' The sinkhole, which is deeper than a double-decker bus, almost swallowed her daughter's trampoline . A Bexley Council spokesman added: 'Under such circumstances, the reinstatement work becomes the responsibility of the owner. 'Although the council is not liable for the reinstatement work, it is happy to provide advice. 'The owner was advised to contact her insurance company to see if her policy covers the incident. 'Our structural engineer also discussed the standard method used in the past to fill in these holes and provided the contact number of a reputable building contractor so that she could obtain a quotation.' A spokesman for Halifax Insurance said: 'Following a thorough investigation our engineers are confident that this sinkhole has not caused any damage to the property and poses no threat to the structure of the home, therefore it is not covered by the insurance policy. Not another one: This sinkhole - about 16ft long and 6ft wide - led to the section being closed . 'As a gesture of goodwill however, we will offer to put a fence up around the sinkhole in the interest of health and safety.' The motorway sinkhole appeared on the M2 in north Kent, between junction 5 near Sittingbourne and junction 6 south of Faversham. The hole - about 16ft long and 6ft wide - led to the section being closed from early yesterday afternoon, leading to big tailbacks on routes leading to and from the Kent coast. The Highways Agency (HA) said work was continuing to find out what caused the hole to open and that the section remained closed for safety reasons. The HA added that the site had been monitored overnight, while equipment and materials were being organised and deployed to the site ready for the agency’s contractors to start work as soon as it is safe to do so. A signed diversion is in place via the A249, the M20, the A20, the A252 and the A251.
A sinkhole deeper than a double-decker bus appeared in a back garden .
Insurers say it hasn't damaged Gretel Davidson's home in Barnehurst, south east London, so they won't be paying any money towards repairs .
A shocked mother is facing a £10,000 bill after a huge sinkhole deeper than a double-decker bus appeared overnight in her back garden, almost swallowing her daughter's trampoline. Insurers say it hasn't damaged Gretel Davidson's home in Barnehurst, south east London, so they won't payout for any repairs. The collapse comes as a 10-mile section of a busy motorway remains closed because of a 15ft-deep sinkhole in the central reservation. Gretel Davidson is facing a £10,000 bill after a huge sinkhole appeared overnight in her back garden . Gretel Davidson thought her daughter Mia, 12, was exaggerating when she called her to say a huge black hole had appeared in the middle of their lawn. The 55-year-old didn't realise the extent of the hole until she got home and peered into the void last Wednesday. Insurers say it hasn't damaged Gretel's home so they won't be paying her any money to fix the problem . Gretel, a radiographer at Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, Kent, said: 'I just feel totally helpless. Mia rang me to say "Mum there is a massive hole in the garden". 'I didn't really believe her and just thought she was going over the top. It is just unbelievable to think a hole that size could appear overnight and out of nowhere.' She added: 'I got in touch with the council but they said they couldn't help because it's my own property. 'I then got in touch with Halifax, my home insurance, and they said the hole is too far away from my home so they couldn't help either. 'I am just devastated. I spent the whole weekend crying and have been doing everything I can to try and sort it out."' Structural engineer Dan Baker, director of D J B Structural Engineers Ltd in Erith, looked at the hole and is drawing up an action plan. He said: 'It is a naturally occurring oblique swallow hole. It could cost upwards of £10,000 to fix. 'It is just one of those things you cannot predict - a total act of God. 'They are not common but they have been known to happen in this area in the past. 'Thankfully nobody was in the garden because someone could have died. We have got to make it safe as soon as possible.' The sinkhole, which is deeper than a double-decker bus, almost swallowed her daughter's trampoline . A Bexley Council spokesman added: 'Under such circumstances, the reinstatement work becomes the responsibility of the owner. 'Although the council is not liable for the reinstatement work, it is happy to provide advice. 'The owner was advised to contact her insurance company to see if her policy covers the incident. 'Our structural engineer also discussed the standard method used in the past to fill in these holes and provided the contact number of a reputable building contractor so that she could obtain a quotation.' A spokesman for Halifax Insurance said: 'Following a thorough investigation our engineers are confident that this sinkhole has not caused any damage to the property and poses no threat to the structure of the home, therefore it is not covered by the insurance policy. Not another one: This sinkhole - about 16ft long and 6ft wide - led to the section being closed . 'As a gesture of goodwill however, we will offer to put a fence up around the sinkhole in the interest of health and safety.' The motorway sinkhole appeared on the M2 in north Kent, between junction 5 near Sittingbourne and junction 6 south of Faversham. The hole - about 16ft long and 6ft wide - led to the section being closed from early yesterday afternoon, leading to big tailbacks on routes leading to and from the Kent coast. The Highways Agency (HA) said work was continuing to find out what caused the hole to open and that the section remained closed for safety reasons. The HA added that the site had been monitored overnight, while equipment and materials were being organised and deployed to the site ready for the agency’s contractors to start work as soon as it is safe to do so. A signed diversion is in place via the A249, the M20, the A20, the A252 and the A251.
huge sinkhole deeper than a double-decker bus say it hasn't damaged Gretel Davidson's home in Barnehurst, south east London, so they won't they won't be paying her any money to fix the