A woman had a lucky escape after a car crashed through the garden where she had been sitting moments earlier.

The black Nissan Qashqai took out a fence, two benches and plant pots and came to rest against a concrete garage at Forge Meads, Wittersham this week.

“It made quite a mess,” said homeowner Richard Farthing.

“My wife, Joyce, had been sitting on one of the benches playing with our dog, Oliver, just minutes before.

Luckily she had decided to come into the house.”

The incident happened at 4pm on Monday while Mr Farthing, 72, was upstairs.

“I heard a terrific bang and saw the car shoot across the garden,” he said.

“I heard a terrific bang and saw the car shoot across the garden”

“Neighbours thought a bomb had gone off.”

He called the emergency services and he and his wife, 64, helped get the woman driver out of the vehicle.

“She was shocked and had whiplash but otherwise was OK,” said Mr Farthing.

“Goodness knows what happened.

“The vehicle came through our fence, up a 1ft step, shot across the 60ft garden demolishing a barbecue, two benches and some pots and ended up in the side of the garage.”

The Farthing’s garage, which contained tools, equipment and wood, had to be shored up before the car could be removed.

The vehicle remained at their home until yesterday.

The driver, thought to be aged 49 and from London, was taken to the William Harvey Hospital for treatment.

A police spokesman said the accident had been reported to them.