Road blocked by car smash

The westbound lane remained closed for over an hour as emergency services worked to clear the scene.

The silver Nissan Micra wedged between the railings and the advertising hoardings, and had to be cut free by the fire brigade.

Firefighters spent 15 minutes freeing the vehicle with hydraulic cutting equipment and worked to reduce the risk of fire.

The car was travelling westbound when the elderly driver lost control of the vehicle, which mounted the pavement and hit the railings just metres from a zebra crossing. The force of the collision spun the car backwards into the hoardings and blocked the entire footpath.

The mangled railings had to be removed to free the wreck, whose back had broken through the hoardings and into the undergrowth.

Debris from the accident littered the road, which was closed to traffic during the busy end-of-school period. Cooling liquid leaked from the vehicle.

Police controlled the flow of traffic at the Castle pub junction of Town Hall Square, causing tail-backs up Terminus Road.

The male driver suffered cuts and grazes, and walked away from the crash in a state of shock. His female passenger was unhurt.

The couple were checked over by ambulance crew at the scene, but refused to go to hospital. They were given a lift back home by the police.

Police later confirmed that no other vehicles were involved in the incident, and added: "It was a local couple; both in their eighties."

Michael Toppin heard the crash and came running down the road to assist the people trapped in the car: "My role involved trying to remove the timber blocking the passenger side door.

"I was concerned about what seemed to be fuel leaking out of the car. I work in factual documentaries and am the director of the 'Mirror Pride of Britain Awards'.

"It was like seeing in real life, the dramatic reconstructions that we do on the programme.

"I led the elderly lady from the car ... she seemed slightly dazed but unhurt."