RESIDENTS were shocked when the car park ceiling beneath their homes collapsed on top of their cars and bicycles.

The plasterboard ceiling collapsed in the middle of the night under the Marina Place flats on Commercial Road in Weymouth.

Families with children were among those asleep in the four flats above the car park and those that were not disturbed by the sound of the ceiling falling awoke to see the car park taped off.

Peter Davis expressed relief that it happened during the night and not while he was there.

He said: “I was pretty shocked. My car is underneath and I can’t move it. It would have been worse if it happened during the day”

The building includes the flats and an estate agents on the site of the former New Bridge pub between Wooperton Street and Westham Road.

Mr Davis added: “My wife heard something because she was still up as she wasn’t very well.

“The young couple in the flat below called the fire brigade.”

John Louise, partner at Changing Homes, an estate agency, was relieved that his parking space and business remained unaffected.

He said: “Driving up it looked like a lot of building material until you take a closer look.”

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said they were called just before 3am on Saturday.

She said their fire officer contacted Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and they sent out a building inspector.