PENSIONER Kenneth Dawson returned from his allotment to find a car had crashed through the front door of his house but insisted: "It'll take more than that to bother me at my age!"

The accident happened as Christopher Counsell, 25, of Fore Street, Lower Darwen, was driving a Rover along Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, towards Feniscowles.

He swerved to avoid a Ford Fiesta driven by Herbert Fox, 80, of Parklands Way, Blackburn, at the Heys Lane mini-roundabout.

The cars collided, the Rover spun out of control and crashed into Mr Dawson's front door, smashing through an outside gas pipe and tearing up carpets.

No one was hurt.

And after the accident, which left 10 foot high cracks in the front wall, Kenneth, 66, said: "I've got to an age in life where I'm not bothered about things like this." Neighbour Mrs Abeda Bangue, who lives next to her newsagent's shop, said: "I heard a big bang and at first I thought someone had crashed into my house.

"I ran out and the smell of gas was very strong. I was on my own and I was so scared I just locked the doors and ran round the corner in case there was an explosion."

Police called Transco, who cut off the gas supply until the building can be repaired, and neighbours fetched Mr Dawson from his Feniscowles allotment.

Mr Dawson, who has lived in the terrace house for 43 years, said: "It might have been worse if someone had been injured.

"It's a mess but I've got insurance, or the car insurance will pay for it. I won't be moving, I've lived on this street all my life."

He said his dog, Winston, had been in the back room at the time of the accident but didn't seem upset. He said: "Winston's a 120 pound Doberman, so nothing frightens him."

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