TWO cars were crushed when a landslide sent tons of earth and rubble crashing down on to a roadside in Greenfield.

No-one was hurt, but residents are counting the cost of the damage.

Record levels of August rain have been blamed for the landslip in Chew Valley Road, which caused a wall to collapse last Thursday lunchtime.

The nearby Railway Hotel pub had to be closed and police advised people to stay out of their homes until engineers were sure it was safe to return.

The collapse was at the rear of a stone building built into a steep slope opposite Greenfield train station, and on Greenfield’s main bus and commuter road.

Dave Stuttard, who works at Generator Services, had his Vauxhall Astra badly crushed along with his boss’s Range Rover.

He said: "You could see the wall was bulging under the pressure of the rain.

"We made sure customers did not park where the wall looked most dangerous by parking our cars there. Now both of them look to be written off."

Andrew Blake, whose flat overlooks the scene, said: "The road drains have been blocked for a long time, and I have made at least 15 requests to the council since January for action to be taken. I have also reported my concern about the way the wall was bulging.

"The rain runs down from Wharmton Hill above Greenfield Station, and the water pressure has drilled a hole right under the land onto the road.

"You could see it building up as it couldn’t escape fast enough."

Carl Evans, 49, who lives next to the landslide, said excess traffic and building work at the nearby railway station could be to blame.

A spokesman for Oldham Council said: "Our initial response was to fence off the affected area so that public safety was maintained. We have been in contact with contractors who will make the remaining exposed embankment safe.

"On first inspection, there has been some damage to cars that were parked alongside the wall, but no residents have been injured and no houses are in danger."