Driver reverses through shopfront

7:48pm Monday 14th April 2008

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A driver attempting to parallel park in Stonecot Hill found an unlikely resting place when she reversed into the front of an undertakers.

The woman seemed to have a death wish as she shot six feet over the kerb and through the brick wall and panelled windows of Richard Knox funeral directors.

Luckily no one was harmed as a result of the grave manouevering error and the VW Golf, bearing a probation plate, stopped within inches of a goldfish tank.

The demolition scene played out near a Driving Standards Agency office and did nothing to bury outdated stereotypes of women drivers.

Carol Gipps, owner of the funeral company for eight years, was mortified by the devastation wrought on Monday afternoon.

She said: "I was just out the back when I heard what sounded like crockery smashing or china plates being thrown down the stairs.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw this woman staring out of a car in my hall, with mess everywhere. It was an absolute nightmare. I just couldn't see how a car could reverse at that speed without stoping."

Richard Liell, 25, assistant manager at Goodfellows estate agents next door, said he was regularly distracted by bad parking at the parade of shops.

"You often see people using other cars as buffers to get into spaces here. I'd seen this particular lady before and once she had to get a guy to park the car for her.

"I thought she's come back for another go'. This time she was trying to parallel park, mounted the kerb and shot back, smashing through the wall. We all ran out in case there was major damage."

Police cordoned off the scene until an engineer was satisfied the lodged vehicle could be removed without causing further stuctural damage.