A cafe owner says it was lucky no one was killed after a car crashed through a side wall.

The Knoxbridge Cafe, between Staplehurst and Cranbrook, had just opened for the day when a black Mini Countryman ploughed into the building this morning.

Vivien Pearson, the owner of the cafe on the A229 Cranbrook Road, said: "It's a big mess.

"The crash happened first thing in the morning. It was lucky no one was killed."

Despite the cafe being open, customers at the time were sitting near the back of the building.

Vivien added: "The A229 is a dangerous road, it is notorious for accidents and fatalities.

"Due to it being very straight outside the cafe, motorists tend to gun it down the road."

Mrs Pearson lives at the property with her husband and they own the business together.

She said the cafe would have to remain closed while they cleared up and made sure the structure was safe.

The matter was now being dealt with by her insurance company, she added.

Mrs Pearson was unable to say when the cafe was likely to reopen.

A Kent Police spokesperson said: "At around 9.20am on Tuesday 1 March, Kent Police was called to a report that a car had collided with a building on Cranbrook Road, Cranbrook.

Officers attended the scene where no injuries were reported."

A Southe East Ambulance spokesperson said: "We were alerted to this incident but stood down prior to our arrival."