A CAR ploughed into the side of a house and wrecked the living room after it hit a taxi.

Police have launched an investigation after the 320d BMW collided with a taxi and then careered into the home just metres away from a petrol station.

The shocked householder had been in his living room just 10 minutes earlier but luckily had popped round to his neighbour’s house.

Tony Ross, 59, said he had been cleaning windows and was ‘gobsmacked’ when he heard a huge bang and returned home to find a giant hole in the side of his house.

He said: “I heard a massive bang and thought it had come from the opposite end of the road. I was in shock when I heard a car had hit the side wall.

“I would not have bothered cleaning the windows if I knew this was going to happen. It will cost tens of thousands of pounds to repair this mess. I was meant to go hiking (on Sunday) but there was no chance of that happening after.

“It was unusual. More than a dozen people stood outside the house taking photos and I told them to get out while I waiting for emergency services to arrive.”

Around 10 emergency service vehicles including police and paramedics, arrived at the scene shortly after the collision occurred.

The taxi driver had to be cut out of his car by fire crews following the crash and was taken to Royal Preston Hospital, a police spokesman added.

The driver of the BMW was arrested at the scene near H R Service Station Ltd, in Accrington Road, Rosegrove, at around 9.30pm on Saturday and taken to Royal Preston Hospital. No details have been released of their injuries.

A police spokesman said: “A BMW has collided with a house. One man has been arrested and taken to hospital.”

The 59-year-old council maintenance worker, who has lived in the house for eight years, said there was substantial damage to the living room’s 1950s fireplace, glass door, tables, chairs and sofa. However Tony said he was relieved his fish tank had survived.

Tony, along with his 60-year-old brother Paul, who owns the house, said they were waiting for a building inspector to arrive and assess the damage before starting work to repair the wall.

The council maintenance worker said: “We have had no help and support since we spoke to emergency services on Sunday morning. I feel like I have just been dumped.

“Someone has to take responsibility. We did not do anything wrong.”

Paul, who works at Towneley Hall in Burnley, said: “I rang the insurance company and they said we will have to wait until Monday morning, which I don’t think is acceptable. If it was a leak in the bathroom I could understand, but there is a giant hole in the side of the house.”

Witnesses claimed the BMW was driving at high speeds.

The owner of HR Service Station said: “It was very dangerous. It was travelling at around 100mph. The driver was doing some serious speed.”

An 80-year-old woman who lives near the scene said: “I was just going to bed to watch the football when I heard a bang.

" It shook the house. I thought it happened outside my house. It was scary.”

A spokesman for Millennium Private Hire in Burnley confirmed one of its cars had been hit by the BMW.