A COUPLE had a lucky escape after a car smashed through the front garden wall of their home, sending bricks flying into their living room.

Peter Gregson, 48, and his wife Jean, 47, were sitting at their home in Exchange Street, Spring Hill, Accrington, at 3.30pm yesterday, when there was a huge bang and the room was showered with glass.

The couple were left badly shaken but not seriously hurt.

Peter said: "We were sitting in the front room when we heard an almighty bang. The window went through, but I didn't see a car until I went outside.

"It had gone over my wall, smashed my next door neighbour's window and landed in their garden. I saw two lads in their early 20s running away.

"It was a really frightening experience, and we were still shaking several hours later. Several bricks came through the window and one of them hit my wife on the back of the leg. She was a bit bruised, but nothing serious.

"We're both very lucky we weren't badly hurt, especially my wife who was sitting right next to the window. "They must have been going at some speed considering we're right at the bottom of the street. It's a bad junction, and a lot of cars crash at the top end of the street, but I've never seen anything like this in the 20 years we've lived here.

He added: "Apparently they had run somebody off the road before they crashed.

Sgt Rob Evans said a BMW, believed to have been stolen, had damaged two houses in Exchange Street before ending up in a garden. He said nobody had been seriously hurt

Ten minutes later a second car was stolen in the same area. The Vauxhall Astra was later found abandoned in Moscow Mill Street after the police helicopter had been called out.

Anyone who has any information about either incident should contact Accrington Police on 01254 382141.

Mr Gregson is pictured surveying the damage.

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