Donegal mica homes: Bulldozers tear down ‘dream home’

Ms Beard said she had loved her part of Donegal since childhood.

“We always came on day trips from Limavady, so when the opportunity arose for us to move here we jumped at it,” she told BBC News NI.

“The house was just perfect. There is only me and my husband but we designed it the way we wanted. It was our safe space and now it’s gone.”

Ms Beard said they were first alerted seven years ago by a neighbour who approached them about the defective blocks scandal. Their world then fell apart.

“It initially had some cracking which I put down to settlement cracks,” she said.

“We got ours tested and sadly it came back that we had to get it demolished. It’s been a long arduous process. You have to know about buildings, finances and sort out accommodation. You are left abandoned.”

Ms Beard did think about getting a second opinion but she sensed the only way to “end the nightmare” was demolition.

“I knew it had to happen.

“It shouldn’t have had to happen if the regulations were adhered to but I’m not on my own.

“There’s thousands and thousands of families facing the very same thing that I am.”