Families in another two streets have been told they must leave their homes amid fears coal mines underneath are collapsing.

Several households in Coalsnaughton, Clackmannanshire, were moved on Friday as a ‘precautionary measure’.

It means nearly 100 properties in the former mining village have now been evacuated without certainty as to when residents will be able to return.

The latest orders to leave saw chaos as families in Nechtan Drive and Langour rushed to pack up their belongings.

It came just over a week after those living in Benbuck View were ordered out amid ground movement. On Wednesday, neighbours in the parallel Dunmoss View were instructed to evacuate.

In total, 60 properties were left empty amid fears the nearby disused mines are caving in.

After the latest development, the total number of households that have had to evacuate stands at 97.

Residents had told of seeing cracks in their homes and hearing strange noises.

Aaron Anderson, 36, watched in horror this week as families were forced to pack up their belongings and leave their homes – fearing his would be next. And yesterday afternoon he and 27 other householders on Nechtan Drive and nine in Langour were told to leave, creating ‘absolute pandemonium’.

The father of three said: ‘It’s a nightmare. It’s so surreal. You don’t think these things will happen to you and it’s a weird feeling. 

'One minute you are in your house and everyone is happy under this cosy roof everyone calls home, and then by the end of the day you’re in a completely different house with different surroundings in a totally different town that’s a 29-minute drive away from your actual home.’

He said he was told the move was not down to further ground movement but because gas and electricity have been cut off.

When workers in high-vis jackets went door-to-door along the short road the usually quiet street transformed into a hive of activity. Mr Anderson said: ‘Everybody’s car had their boots open, everybody had suitcases, everybody was everywhere. 

'Every single house had a bag packed and they were just going for it, packing everything. It went from nothing to everything at once – it was chaos.’

Mr Anderson and his family have been housed in a short-term let in Grangemouth.

He said: ‘We’ve been told this place has been rented out for a week. I haven’t got my hopes up right now for a week, or two weeks, I’m of the suspicion this is going to take a lot longer.’

Past planning documents for what would become Benbuck View said it was in the ‘likely zone of influence from workings in two seams of coal at shallow to 50m depth, and last worked in 1875’.

Meanwhile, separate planning documents showed there was an old mineshaft outside a home in Dunmoss View.

Nikki Bridle, Clackmannanshire Council’s chief executive, said: ‘Following ongoing investigations into ground movement in Coalsnaughton, a decision has been taken to evacuate a further 28 properties in Nechtan Drive and nine in Langour as a precautionary measure.

‘This brings the total number of evacuated properties to 97 since May 18.’

Specialists at the Mining Remediation Authority last night said its investigations are ‘expected to take some time to complete’.