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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
James Holt

Moment building collapses into heap of rubble as car ploughs into shop front

Horrifying CCTV footage captures the moment a BMW ploughed into a shop in Tameside.

The car was driven straight into the Alan Fish Ltd shop on Canterbury Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, last night (January 6), causing absolute devastation.

Shocking photos show the building reduced to rubble. The driver, a woman, managed to escape from the vehicle and was checked over by paramedics. She was later arrested on suspicion of drink driving and taken into police custody but has since been released under investigation.

READ MORE 'It was an accident waiting to happen': Residents in disbelief as building collapses after BMW smash

CCTV footage shared exclusively with the Manchester Evening News, captures the car hurtling down Canterbury Street before smashing through the wall and becoming embedded in the building. Seconds later, the external wall falls and crumbles to the ground.

Horrified residents can be seen frantically running over to the car. Moments later, fire crews, police and paramedics arrived at the scene and cordoned it off.

The major clean up on Friday (January 6), the day after the major crash (Gary Oakley/Manchester Evening News)

Shop owner Alan Fish said it was the second time a car had been driven into his store in just four months. The building was already in a state of disrepair and was boarded up from the crash last September.

Alan said: "I was in the shop just five minutes before and went home to go in my garage - then I heard this loud bang. I couldn't believe it had happened again.

The scene on Thursday night showing the extensive damage to the shop (Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

"My daughter was ringing me and came down worried because she knew I'd been in the shop just minutes before and was worried I was inside. I was in the room at the back."

Residents living near to where the building collapsed after the smash said it was an ‘accident waiting to happen’ and they have been campaigning for speed bumps in the area for years.

A large cordon remained in place today (January 6) as a major clear up continued at the scene. The BMW was eventually pulled from the rubble, but remained at the site.

For more of today's top stories click here.

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