A 55-year-old deaf women was told by her housing association that she would have to go homeless after joyriders crashed a car into her front room.

Beryl Thompson, of Muschamp Road in Carshalton, has been a council tenant for 30 years.

Two weeks ago, while Miss Thompson slept in the next room, joyriders smashed a car through her fence and into her front wall, causing part of the wall to cave in.

After council representatives and insurers visited the address, Miss Thompson was told the damage would take up to six weeks to repair.

At the moment, the house has metal poles up in the front room to stop the wall from collapsing.

Miss Thompson’s daughter-in-law Deborah Thompson said she could not believe how the 55-year-old was being treated.

She said: “They don’t know how to talk to people, they talk to you like you are nothing.

“My mother-in-law has paid her rent on time for 30 years, and she still has a job.

“She does not deserve to be told that she will have to go homeless – it is not her fault that her house was crashed into by joyriders.”

Mrs Thompson said that after the visit by the Sutton Housing Partnership and the insurer, the insurer then went on holiday.

Ms Thompson: “When the Sutton Housing Partnership got involved, that is when she was told she would have to register as homeless.

“The insurer had said that the insurance cover would allow her to move into a hotel while the work was being carried out.

“But because she has dogs, she wouldn’t be allowed to.”

After the Sutton Guardian contacted the council, Mrs Thompson says the housing association has changed their tune.

“Since I spoke with the Guardian, the housing association said they have had a re-think and have offered my mother-in-law a place on the Benhill Estate.

“She doesn’t really want to go out that far, so we have arranged for her to stay with relatives.”

Sutton Housing Partnership surveyors and Sutton Council’s building control section officers both attended the scene on the day the incident happened.

A spokesman said: “The property is deemed ‘safe to occupy’ at present.

“However, repair works will be necessary and contractors were on site on Tuesday morning to plan for those works to begin.

“In order to carry out these works, Mrs Thompson has been offered temporary accommodation, as is our normal procedure, but she has decided to find her own alternative accommodation.

“As Mrs Thompson is hard of hearing, we have been liaising with a relative. The relative has assured the council that she is satisfied with the way the case is being handled.

“We fully sympathise with Mrs Thompson at this difficult time and we will endeavour to ensure that she can return to her home as soon as possible.”