Lucky escape as car ploughs into couple's cottage (From Cotswold Journal)

Lucky escape as car ploughs into couple's cottage

2:00pm Thursday 4th October 2012 in News By Freya Leng

A COUPLE had a lucky escape after a car ploughed through their front garden and smashed into their home in a village near Bidford.

Police were called to the property in High Street, Welford-on-Avon, just after 10.30pm on Saturday and found a red Volkswagen Golf lodged in the kitchen area of the property.

Fortunately, there was noone in the house at the time as the owner, named locally as Sir Colin Hope, is believed to have been on holiday in Scotland.

The car has had to remain in place as it is thought that it is wedged so far in the property that it is effectively propping it up. Police said they fear moving it might cause the corner of the house to collapse, so a structural engineer has been called to make it safe.

Warwickshire county councillor Peter Barnes, who represents Bidford, said: “Everybody’s talking about it. The skid marks were 60 yards long. It’s just very unfortunate for him [the owner] that an old wattle and daub property has had a big hole put in it. Its just lucky that no one was home as it could have been a lot more serious. It’s a shame for the village. It’s not a normal thing that happens.

“He [the driver] must have been going at substantial speed because of the marks on the road. Obviously speed had a major impact. ”

Coun Barnes added that the parish council could soon be launching a speed awareness campaign in the village. The male driver and three male passengers suffered only minor injuries.

This is not the first time a car has caused chaos in the village. Three years ago a car ploughed into a wall of the Bell Inn in Binton Road, near to the scene of the collision.

• Grant Bantom, aged 22, of Broom near Alcester, has been charged with driving with excess alcohol and having no insurance in relation to the incident. He was bailed to appear before magistrates in Leamington on Wednesday, October 17.