A CAFE in Prestwich could be closed for several weeks after a car ploughed through the front window.

The drama unfolded at 1pm last Wednesday (September 9) when a woman, aged in her 60s, crashed her silver Vauxhall Corsa into the Cafe 7-11 Diner in Bury Old Road, Polefield.

It is understood that the woman was attempting to park up outside the shop when she accidentally put her foot on the accelerator.

Paramedics were called to the scene and treated the driver for shock and for cuts and bruises.

Crews based at Whitefield Fire Station were also called to the scene as a precaution.

Watch manager John Van Geffen said the woman was in the car with her son.

He added: "Our job was to make sure that the car was safe and take out a double-glazed window at the front.

"We also took the door out and the whole front of the shop was left exposed.

"The front of the car was battered and the wing mirror had come off, but it seemed to be an accidental incident."

Safina Nadeem, the sister of the cafe's owner Muhammad, said it was fortunate that the cafe was not open, as it does not begin trading until 4pm.

She added: "The damage to the window was quite bad, though we managed to board it up quite quickly.

"We initially thought that we could re-open a couple of days after the crash but the repairs will take longer than we originally estimated, so the diner will be closed for some time.

"The most important thing though is that the lady involved was not injured.

"I am just glad that the diner was not open at the time. It could have been a lot worse had customers and staff been in

"We would like to thank everyone who has helped us in the last few days."