A 90-year-old man escaped without injury after a car smashed through the front of his bungalow on Monday.

George Horrocks, a widower, was sitting in the lounge of his home at Fir Trees Avenue, Lostock Hall having a glass of whisky before going to bed, when the incident happened at about 10.30pm.

The driver of a red Ford Fiesta failed to negotiate a bend in the quiet estate and the car ran across the pavement, over Mr Horrocks's garden, and into his front bedroom.

The brickwork of the bedroom was reduced to rubble and the double glazed window was left smashed and twisted.

"If it had happened in another half an hour, I would have been in bed," said the great-great-grandfather. "I was just having a whisky before going to bed when I heard it, I thought the bungalow was coming down,"

The retired machine operator then dashed to his front porch to see what was happening, but the driver had already run off.

"He must have been travelling at some speed to do this damage. I wish it had hit the garden wall because then the car wouldn't have made it to the house," added Mr Horrocks.

Structural experts were due to examine the two-bedroom house on Tuesday to determine the extent of the repairs needed. The repair bill is likely to run into thousands of pounds. A police spokesman said: "A vehicle crashed into the front bedroom of the bungalow, causing extensive damage. The driver then fled from the scene.

"Fortunately the occupant was in another room at the time and was very lucky not to have been injured in this incident."

A 20-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of drink driving. He was released on police bail to appear at Leyland police station on October 20.