A FAMILY in Walter’s Ash has been evacuated from their home after a sinkhole opened up in their driveway and swallowed their car.

Firefighters were called to Main Road in the village at 8.32am after the family awoke to discover their Volkswagen Lupo at the bottom of the hole.

The sink hole is estimated to be about 15ft in diameter and 30ft deep.

Watch manager Stuart Grosse said: “A hole has opened up outside of the property in the driveway where the family leave their car.

“They parked it there last night and woke up to find it covered in mud at the bottom of this hole.

“We get few calls of this nature, mainly in the south of the county. Historically, holes have appeared in the area due to clay mining.”

A cordon is in place around the house and the matter has now been passed into the hands of Wycombe District Council’s Building Control.