A HORRABRIDGE couple have been forced to move into bed and breakfast accommodation following the discovery of a 700ft mineshaft underneath their bungalow.

John and Jean Coulthard, who are retired and have lived in their home in Copperfields for 12 years, first learned of a problem two years ago.

But only recently it was discovered that a shaft of the Franco Mine copper mine was beneath the bungalow, which could collapse into it at any time.

Jean Coulthard said they felt 'dreadful' at having to leave their home. They feel certain that to put matters right will mean losing it. 'We have had three lots of drilling in the garden, but it has taken them two years to find this out,' she said.

'I've taken the garden; there are too many years put into it to lose it,' Mrs Coulthard added, referring to the fact they have dug up the plants to store at their daughter's house.

Their furniture has also gone into storage and the couple are having to move from one hotel to another, depending on where there are vacancies, paid for by their insurance company.

Mr Coulthard said it 'beggared belief' that someone would build a house on top of a mineshaft. 'It makes me so sad and angry that can happen,' he said. 'We thought it would be a nice little house to retire in, but this has happened. It's quite devastating.'

Following a mine search as part of a house sale in the area two years ago a map indicated a shaft at Copperfields — in addition to the ones in Pencrebar Road, which have since been capped — but tests in the Coulthards' garden revealed nothing.

Richard Gould, an engineering geologist with Frederick Sherrell in Tavistock who has been carrying out the investigations, said a micro-gravity survey suggested the shaft might be under the property.

'A small hole was discovered under the foundations which could be linked to ground subsidence, so we told the Coulthards to get out immediately.

'Drilling then confirmed what we had suspected and revealed a shaft 3.8m by 3.2m and 700ft deep beneath the house,' he said.

Mr Gould said investigations had shown the shaft had not been capped with concrete, but had a wooden platform — now rotten — below the surface supporting the backfill on which the property was built.

There was 'no danger' to neighbours, he added, apart from one garage which was linked to the building.

The matter was now in the hands of the insurance company, which would decide what action should be taken, but any solution would be 'expensive' according to Mr Gould.