This was the scene after a digger smashed into a family home in Earith on Monday night.

The Hunts Post: JCB EarithJCB Earith (Image: Archant)

Elizabeth Sandercock was in bed when she and her husband, Peter, heard police sirens coming into the village, shortly before midnight.

“When we heard the sirens we thought ‘God what’s coming’ and heard a thud, but I didn’t realise the house had been hit,” she told The Hunts Post.

Police were following a JCB vehicle which had been seen driving in St Ives, but, by the time it reached High Street, in Earith, Mrs Sandercock says the driver had jumped out, leaving the digger to crash into their house.

“It could have killed someone,” the mother-of-two added.

The Hunts Post: JCB EarithJCB Earith (Image: Archant)

“If the spike had gone through a bit earlier it would’ve been in my son or daughter’s room, and she was staying here the other night. You just hate to think what could have happened, but no one was hurt.”

Although the children were not in the house at the time, the JCB has left a crack in the wall of her son’s bedroom after it pierced through the first floor spare room, hitting rendering and a window.

“It would have gone through the corner of my room if it had gone through just a few inches to the right,” her son, Henry, 22, said.

“That would have been more serious, but it hit a strong point where it was joined.

“If it had gone a bit further on then it could have potentially hit my sister’s bedpost.”

The family estimate the damage will be about £6,000. The news comes just years after a lorry crashed through their front door in 2005, costing insurers more than £20,000.

“The last one was bad because it cracked a beam that was holding that side of the house up,” Henry added.

“We were worried someone had been crushed on the pavement then, but at least this time no one was out and about at that time of night.”

Cambridgeshire police confirmed they were called at 11.40pm on Monday to reports of a JCB driving suspiciously in St Ives.

A spokesman for the force said: “Officers located the vehicle and a 49-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and taken to Thorpe Wood Police Station, in Peterborough.”