A pensioner had a lucky escape after a car ploughed through a fence of a community centre and into the side of her home.

Barbara Balanco was sitting in the living room of her bungalow in The Avenue, Hersden when the white vehicle smashed into a concrete pillar and into the wall earlier this afternoon.

A witness at the scene said the driver, who reportedly lives locally, had accidentally accelerated rather than braked when leaving the car park of the Hersden Community Centre.

Barbara's daughter Tina raced home from work after hearing the news.

She said: "My mum is shaken up but it could have been a lot worse - if that concrete pillar had not been there I hate to think what would have happened.

"The side of the house is bowed and it is a mess inside."

Police cordoned off the area and the driver of the car was taken to hospital.