Car ploughs through restaurant window for third time

The manager of a restaurant that has been crashed into for a third time says there is a real risk someone will be seriously hurt or killed.

San Tse said it felt like a bomb had gone off when a vehicle ploughed into the Royal Phoenix Chinese restaurant in Oswaldtwistle at 02:30 BST on Tuesday.

She added that she had repeatedly asked the council to install a speed camera outside the restaurant in the hope it would encourage drivers to slow down.

Lancashire County Council said it would install temporary signage and look to add a speed indicator device in the area.

Speaking of the moment the car collided with the restaurant, Ms Tse said: "It was such a massive collision, I rushed over from my home when it happened. It really did shake the building as if there was an earthquake or a bomb.

Ms Tse, who manages the restaurant, said it was not the first time a vehicle had ended up in the premises. She said a driver crashed through the front of the building in 2011 and a car also hit the restaurant's front door in 2019.

The 44-year-old said there had also been a handful of near misses at the restaurant, which is situated opposite a mini roundabout junction.

"Sometimes I sit at the bar and watch the traffic speed past and I think, how many more of these near misses before someone gets hurt?" she said.

"The first time it happened [in 2011] it was during opening hours, so it's only luck that there wasn't a staff member standing there.

"It's an absolute blessing that none of our staff or customers have been hurt."

She said she had repeatedly asked the council to install a speed camera outside the restaurant but her requests had been ignored.

"People don't drive at the speed limit because there's a mini roundabout.

"How many more of these near accidents will there be before the council take it seriously?"

Lancashire County Council said: "There have been three collisions on this road in the last five years, with a high speed of 24.1mph recorded on Moscow Mill Street which is a 20mph limit street," the spokesman said.

"We have previously deployed temporary road safety signage to this location and will look to deploy temporary signs again.

"We will also book this location on our speed indicator device schedule to positively influence driver behavioural change."

Ms Tse said the business had been forced to close following the incident and although they had been inundated with support and offers to help clean up from the community, they were worried about lost earnings.

"The restaurant has been in the heart of the community since 1990," she said.

"The love we have received from the community has been incredible. Everyone has been so supportive.

"We are concerned about loss of income though. We have slowly been crawling out of the debt we accrued during Covid."

She said, on top of lost earnings, the business had to pay a private company to clear the debris from the path outside the restaurant and arrange for the building to be boarded up.

"We are such a small company, sometimes we feel invisible when we need help," she said.

"No one from the council has come to help, we've had no phone calls."

Lancashire County Council said obstructions could be reported via the council website.

Lancashire Constabulary said the most recent incident was a "damage only collision".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected]