Balconies collapse at residential block and crush a car as residents who were in the middle of early Christmas celebrations react in horror

Two balconies have collapsed and crushed a car at a residential block as shaken residents were having an early Christmas celebration.

One horrified resident said the potentially fatal collapse, which happened on Saturday, was so loud, it sounded like a 'car crash'.

Jenny Burrow, an upstairs resident of Prince of Wales Court in Hove, heard her neighbour's homes tear in half.

She said she heard the 'huge rumble' as she was about to kick off her festive celebrations with her family, who had travelled more than 200 miles from Leeds.

Jenny, 39, said: 'It was like a car crash, or scaffolding falling off the building.

'So I went out onto the balcony to have a look and saw a pile of rubble on the ground. I got off the balcony straight away.

'A Silver Nissan Juke parked in the building's car park was crushed by the rubble as pieces of brickwork smashed the rear window.

'Thankfully, nobody was hurt, or in the car at the time,' said Jenny.

'There's a risk our balcony might collapse too.'

Firefighters, who were called to the scene earlier today, posted notices on the front door of each flat saying their balconies were 'deemed unsafe.'

The destroyed vehicle belonged to pensioner Usha Patel, who was lucky not to be in his car at the time as he was on a call inside his home.

Usha said: 'I was here on the phone when there was this really loud noise, so I opened by balcony door to find out what it was and there were two people shouting at me to get inside.

'I went downstairs and saw my car crushed under the rubble. The car next to mine doesn't have a scratch or anything. I don't know what is going to happen to my car, but it is what it is.'

A spokesman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: 'Two solid brick structures collapsed onto a car.

'No one was hurt and the incident has been referred over to the building maintenance.'