A FAMILY were woken before dawn when a car ploughed into the front of a house in Farnworth.

A black Ford Focus came off Harper Green Road and went through the garden wall and into the front of a semi-detached house. 

A family living nearby were woken by the crash which happened just before 5am. 

The father of the family said: "We heard the bang. It was a really loud crash and it woke my children up."

His daughter said: "I sat up in bed and was like 'what was that?'

"I looked out the window and there was a car in their front garden."

The house, which was undergoing building work had its front wall, gate and fence demolished by the crash and the front windows and front door were damaged. Wheelie bins were thrown across the garden by the impact.

The father said: "It took about 10 minutes for the police to arrive and it felt like an eternity. Then four cars arrived all at once."

Firefighters also attended the scene of the crash about 5.30am this morning, as it was feared there was a person trapped.

However, when they arrived they found the occupant had already got out of the vehicle.

The neighbours said the whole scene had been wrapped up and the car removed within about an hour of it happening. 

The daughter said the family living in the house affected had had problems before with cars in Harper Green Road hitting their parked cars. 

She added: "It's this road. In 2009 I was walking home from school and there was a car, which came flying down and smashed into the back of another car."

It is believed the Ford Focus which crashed had been stolen and a man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of burglary and drink or drug driving.