Chinese Home In Middle Of Road Is Torn Down

A home that was left standing in the middle of a busy new road in China after its owners refused to leave has been demolished.

The couple living there, duck farmer Luo Baogen and his wife, were the lone holdouts from a neighbourhood that had been demolished to make way for the road.

Builders built it despite their stubbornness and their home ended up being surrounded by asphalt with motorists having to navigate around it.

The five-storey building was bulldozed on Saturday after the pair finally accepted compensation of 260,000 yuan (£25,000), officials said.

Pictures of their home became an internet sensation in recent weeks and the building was a symbol of resistance by homeowners against officials accused of offering residents unfair compensation to move out.

Officials said Mr Luo, tired of the media attention, had consented to the deal voluntarily.

"Luo Baogen received dozens of people from the media every day and his house stands in the centre of the road. So he decided to demolish the house," Xiazhangyang village chief Chen Xuecai said.

Property has helped drive China's growth in recent decades, but it has also raised objections from homeowners who have been forced out to make way for new constructions.

Once complete, the highway through Xiazhangyang village, on China's eastern coast, will lead to Wenling railway station, which is served by the country's super-fast bullet trains.