A woman who rented out her flat on Airbnb on New Year's Eve was left devastated after the tenant threw a raucous drug-fuelled party and left her home in tatters.

Christina McQuillan, 31, and partner Henry, also 31, decided to rent out their £500,000 one-bedroom apartment in Putney, south west London, for the night while they attended a party.

But they were left with a hefty bill after their home was trashed by around 100 drunken revellers who stole items, damaged the flooring and even ripped the TV off its brackets.

The couple, who rented the home out through Airbnb, were left with a hefty bill after their home was trashed by around 100 drunken revellers who stole items, damaged the flooring and even ripped the TV off its brackets

The couple were alerted to the party after a neighbour called them and said he could smell cannabis

Ms McQuillan, who works in publishing, said the young woman they rented the flat to had assured them she was going out for the evening.

She told the couple she was just renting the flat for £128 that night so she had somewhere to stay afterwards. The couple believed her and went for dinner at a friend's house, which happened to be next door.

Ms McQuillan said: 'As we were leaving our friend's house for a party we could hear loud music was coming from our flat.

'We sent her a text and said could she turn the music down and she replied yes and we thought nothing of it.'

Ms McQuillan said in hindsight the exchange was strange as shortly before they had asked the woman if they could pop over and check things and she had told them she was out.

The couple had decided to rent out their £500,000 one-bedroom apartment in Putney, London, for the night

Even when police arrived at the flat in Putney many of the revellers refused to leave and milled around outside

Ms McQuillan's and her partner Henry (both pictured) tried to throw the revellers our of their home

However, the couple carried on with their evening but when they arrived in Kingston they received a phone call from their concerned neighbour.

He told them the music was unbearably loud and there was a strong smell of cannabis coming from their garden flat.

As they made their way home the neighbour called again and told them to call the police as there was around a 100 people in the flat and on the street outside.

The home was trashed by around 100 drunken revellers who stole items, damaged the flooring and even ripped the TV off its brackets

The panicked couple called police and made their way towards the building to find dozens of people wandering in and out of their flat, their home trashed and a couple having sex on their bed while another man looked on.

Their flooring had been ripped up, the walls kicked and scratched and there was rubbish strewn throughout the flat.

Someone had even stolen a knife from their kitchen drawers.

Ms McQuillan's partner managed to make his way through the packed crowd and cut the power off, which they believe stopped the damage from being even worse.

As police had told them they could not help because it was classed as a 'civil matter', it was down to Ms McQuillan and her boyfriend to try to clear out 100 drink and drug-addled revellers out of their flat.

When they found the woman they had rented the flat to she refused to leave and laughed in their faces.

They later discovered she had used a fake name to book the property, which is making her difficult to trace.

Ms McQuillan said: 'She just laughed at us. She said there was nothing in the rules which said she couldn't have a party, but when we told her she was obviously breaking the rules as people were smoking and place was a mess she just wouldn't listen.

'We couldn't get them out. When my partner went in the bedroom it was like an orgy, there were people having sex on the bed and a man just standing there watching.

'It was just disgusting.'

As Ms MCQuillian tried to chivvy the people out of their home a hooded man tried to scratch her on the wrist before punching her in the stomach and running out of the flat.

Police were called again and finally began helping remove people from the flat. They are now appealing for information following the unprovoked assault.

The panicked couple called police and made their way towards the building to find dozens of people wandering in and out of their flat, their home trashed and a couple having sex on their bed while another man looked on

But even with the police officers in attendance dozens of people refused to leave the flat and street outside.

Ms Mcquillan said they were shouting abuse at her and her partner and the woman who rented the flat from them accused them of being 'racist' and 'posh white snobs'.

The couple were attraction so much abuse from the drunken revellers police advised them to stay elsewhere that evening.

When they returned to the flat the next day they found the floors ripped, the walls dented and scratched from where the furniture had been damaged and food and rubbish strewn everywhere.

The couple have used holiday rentals site Airbnb for years to rent out the flat but said the experience had put them off.

Ms McQuillan added: 'We have been put off renting out again but Airbnb have been very helpful, so we might consider it again - but only to professionals aged over 30.'

Airbnb have apologised to Ms McQuillan following the incident and have offered to pay for the damage.