A CAR smashed through the front of a bookmakers in Bury after the driver accidentally stepped on the accelerator.

The black Ford Focus ploughed through the window of the Coral betting shop in Radcliffe Road at around 2.55pm on Tuesday.

The driver of the car, an elderly man who is a regular customer at the shop, is thought to have put his foot on the wrong pedal as he pulled in to park outside.

He was not seriously injured in the incident and was taken home by police after being checked by paramedics at the scene. There were several staff in the store, but nobody else was injured.

Building inspectors from Bury Council and Coral officials were both at the shop on Tuesday afternoon to assess the damage caused by the crash.

A Coral spokesman said: “We are glad that nobody was injured in the incident. The driver is a regular customer of ours and is absolutely fine.

“The damage to the shop is purely to the framework. We don’t believe there is structural damage.

“From what I understand the driver has accidentally put his foot on the accelerator instead of the brake as he pulled up to the store.”

Staff at the salon next door, Images by Sally, said they were 'shocked' when they heard the noise of the crash.

Ben Baty, who saw the aftermath of the crash as he arrived for work at the betting shop, said: "The important thing is that nobody has been hurt, because it could have been a lot worse.

"The driver is a really sweet old guy who is a regular in here. There was absolutely no malice involved, it was just an accident.

"The terrain outside the shop is really rough and it is not supposed to be like that. We have had customers damage their cars before when they have been driving in and out."