A MAN from Liss has been charged with drink-driving after a van smashed into a row of houses in Portsmouth Road, Liphook, in the early hours of Sunday.

Thomas Pitt, 26, of Inwood Road in Liss, is due to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on May 12 following the incident shortly before 1am on April 12.

Describing the incident, homeowner David Brook told the Herald that he, his wife and two step-sons, aged 11 and 13, were woken by “the loudest bang you have ever heard”.

Having experienced the ‘Dudley earthquake’ in 2002, he initially thought it was another “earth tremor” – only to find to his shock a Citroen van had smashed through the front door of their family home.

David added the abandoned vehicle came “within centimetres” of hitting his home’s fuse box – and his neighbours were screaming at his family to get out of the house, as they thought the van might go up in flames.

The van had also destroyed three porches before coming to a halt, and a large crowd gathered outside, followed soon after by a retained crew from Liphook fire station – to haul the car out of the family’s home – and the police.

David, who is also club secretary of Liphook United FC, reserved special praise for the police and firemen, who he said were “fantastic, and really helped calm the situation down”.

He added his family have all been “really jumpy” every time a car drives past since the incident, and his step-children have struggled to sleep – but one of the firemen has since visited them to check on their welfare.

The family are now urging people to ‘Clap for Liphook fire, the NHS and police’ at 8pm each Thursday.