SHOP staff were lucky to escape serious injury after a freak accident shattered two of their windows.

A stone cobble was caught by the wheel of a bus and hurled through the windows of Nobbut Lads menswear shop on Bank Street, Rawtenstall.

"It came through like a missile," said shop assistant Julie Taylor.

Julie and manager Jim Dalglish were cleaning the shop ready for customers when they heard a bang and saw the stone sett in the shop.

Julie said: "It happened at about 9.30 on Saturday morning. We didn't see it but we heard the thud and the shop alarm went off. "A man walking down the street followed the bus and spoke to the driver.

"It was lucky the shop was empty and there were not many people about or someone could have been killed."

The cobble was in a pile of loose setts in the centre of the road, stacked up ready to be laid round the old tramlines.

It was flung up by the bus wheel, hit one window, ricochetted off the frame and shattered the second window.

The accident has been reported to Rossendale Council whose workmen are relaying the original stone setts on Bank Street as part of a £250,000 refurbishment scheme.

The street has been made one way while work is in progress to protect workmen and ease congestion. Work is expected to last until September.

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