A YOUNG girl escaped death by inches after a stolen Land Rover Discovery slammed into her home, showering her bed with glass as she slept.

Chanel Conlan, five, woke up screaming after the vehicle lost control, smashed into a parked car and careered over a rockery before hitting her family's bungalow in Lowerhouse Lane, Burnley, just after 2am today.

The driver of the Discovery escaped from the vehicle and was seen running off towards the centre of town.

The bungalow, built only two years ago, was so badly damaged that the family will have to move out while the front wall is rebuilt

A Nissan Micra car was also badly damaged when it was pushed into the wall of the house next door, which was also damaged. Chanel had to have splinters of glass removed from her head but dad, Bernard, said: "The main thing is that she was not seriously hurt.

"We were woekn by an almighty bang and outside it looked like something from World War Three.''

Mum, Sarah, said: "Chanel woke up screaming and there was glass all over her bed.

"She was lucky to escape with only tiny splinters in her head but seems fine this morning.''

Elder sister Cathy, 10, was in the next bedroom but slept through the drama.

Wilf Dolman, who lives next door, said: "If the Land Rover had not hit my Rover first it would have gone straight through the bungalow wall and landed on the little girl's bed."

A Nissan Micra belonging to another next door was pushed into Wilf's house.

"The impact was so great that our bed shuddered," he added.

"A neighbour saw the little so-and-so jump out of the stolen vehicle and run off towards Burnley like a bat out of hell.''

The Discovery had been stolen from Blacko.

The police helicopter was called in but despite an extensive search of the area the offender escaped.

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