The property collapse

By LUKE SALKELD

Last updated at 10:15 06 February 2007


After spending £1.5million and waiting 18 months, Nick Skilton was weeks away from moving into his brand new luxury cliff-top home.

GALLERY: Living the life of a millionaire

But his sea view will be somewhat closer than he expected – after 80ft of his garden and tons of earth and trees disappeared in a landslide,

leaving the house only yards from a

130ft sheer drop.

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The businessman says he is unconcerned about his home's apparently precarious new position.

But pictures taken yesterday suggest he may be putting on a brave face as experts warned he is unlikely to be able to insure the four-bedroom home, which has a spiral glass staircase and

indoor swimming pool.

The 47-year-old millionaire would only say: "I am not a bit worried about my home. I'm not bothered."

But the company which owned the stretch of land that used to border the property in Dawlish, Devon, said he had "cause to be worried about the

stability of his property".

Mr Skilton, who made his fortune selling bathroom equipment, was not inside the building when the landslide struck.

But it was an earth-shattering experience for carpenter Daniel Julyan and his joiner father Phillip.

Daniel, 19, of Newton Abbot, said:

"Often we'll hear a rumbling when a train goes by. But this just kept going and got four or five times louder – it was like thunder.

"The next thing I knew, five trees at the end of the garden just toppled over. We looked over the edge and there was a mile of red dirt and branches and stuff floating in the ocean."

Estate agent Paul Ranger, of Pearson

Ranger, said: "That stretch of coastline offers stunning sea views. With that viewpoint comes a certain amount of risk which is often part and parcel of the chance you take. But as long as

your house doesn’t topple in, most people consider it a small price to pay."

Property company Character Homes had intended to use the land that fell into the sea last week as a "wildlife area" near to where it is building 24

apartments 650ft from the cliff edge.

Owner Michael Hogg said: "Luckily it

doesn't affect any of our plans because we are set right back from the cliffs.

"The owner next door has far more cause to be worried about the stability of his property. It has put the new house very close to the cliff face"

But carpenter Mr Julyan supported Mr Skilton's more relaxed attitude. He said tests have shown the home is built on solid rock and in no immediate danger of sliding into the sea.

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