Trader Martyn Powell says he was lucky to escape unhurt when a car crashed through his shop window.

Mr Powell, of Powell’s Interiors and Upholstery, Church Street, Calne, was in the shop with wife Sue and a work experience girl when the crash happened on Monday.

The blue Volkswagen estate rolled down Church Street and smashed through the shop around midday, showering the place with glass.

Mr Powell, 44, said: “There was a big bang. It was really loud, it even shook the flat upstairs, and all of a sudden the car came into the shop.

“Two minutes before the incident we were actually working in the shop window. There was no engine running, it was just coasting down the road, so no one would have heard it coming.

“It they had parked further up the road it would have had more momentum and come into the shop..

“The work experience girl only started in the morning, worked for three hours and then had the shock of her life.

“The support from fellow shop owners who came racing to help was really good. We try to look out for each other along this street. They were out in force with cups of tea.”

The driver of the Volkswagen estate, a woman in her sixties, had not set her handbrake correctly. The shop will be closed for the rest of the week. Mr Powell is sorting out the repairs through his insurance company.

He said of the driver: “She was very apologetic. She realised what had happened and admitted about the handbrake straight away.

“Obviously this sort of thing doesn’t happen every day, so we didn’t know what to do. We have taken as many photos as possible, but it’s just a waiting game now.

“Because it’s a 17th century building it’s not straightforward. Each panel of glass is separate and custom-made. It’s not a quick fix.

“We probably won’t be open to the public for safety reasons this week. There’s still glass all over the fabrics in the shop.”