A COUPLE woken in the early hours by what they thought was a gas explosion were stunned to find a car had been parked in their kitchen.

The Toyota Celica had ploughed into the pine end wall of their Resolven home and ended up almost entirely inside it.

Yesterday Michael and Julie Miller were facing an anxious wait to find out where they will be spending the night after safety experts ruled out their return to the Company Street house.

They have been told at least part of it will have to be demolished.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a man in his mid-20s in connection with the dramatic incident.

Mr Miller, aged 42, told the Post how he and his 47-year-old wife were asleep in the upstairs bedroom when they heard a tremendous bang at around 4.30am yesterday.

"At first I thought it had been caused by a gas leak," he said.

"I went downstairs and I could smell gas so I thought, no way. I went back upstairs and got out through the bedroom window.

"I was going to fetch a ladder so my wife could get down, and then I saw the car.

"It had gone through the wall and was right inside the kitchen. I couldn't believe it.

"At the moment, we don't have a clue what is going to happen. We don't even know where we're going to be sleeping."

Not only was the kitchen trashed, but debris was blasted into the living room.

Mrs Miller said a council engineer had been out to inspect the damage to her privately owned home, and had told her part of it would have to be demolished.

"I'm still trying to sort things out with the insurers," she said. "I've been on the phone to them all day.

"It looks as if we'll be staying in a hotel until this is all sorted out."

Police had to close part of the road outside the house for a while.

Police Inspector Tony Meyrick confirmed that a man in his mid-20s had been arrested, and was due to be interviewed in connection with the incident.