Car causes £25,000 of damage after crashing into Baileys in Verwood (From Bournemouth Echo)

Car causes £25,000 of damage after crashing into Baileys in Verwood

1:00pm Wednesday 21st July 2010 in

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A CAR smashing through a Verwood shop wall has caused an estimated £25,000 of damage.

The crash at Baileys, in Ringwood Road, took out two bollards, fractured the gas main and knocked over 10 televisions plus DVD players and cinema systems off the shelves.

The male driver, who abandoned the red Honda behind the store shortly after 11.22pm on Monday, called an ambulance.

Sales director Steve York, alerted by the store’s security system, was clearing up at the shop until 3am.

Another colleague stayed all night.

“At first we thought it was a ram raid,” he said.

“The driver’s lucky he didn’t kill himself really.

“There were no brake marks – it’s just a bit unbelievable.”

Display units and a radiator will need to be replaced, along with the scratched sets.

Mr York added: “Times are difficult enough at the moment.

“We’re well-known in the community and they’ll support us, but this is going to impair business for a bit.”

Witnesses who heard the crash called the police.

The car, considered a fire risk because it was leaking petrol, was removed from the scene, and a building expert from East Dorset District Council was called to assess the safety of the building.