Car crashes into church as group meets inside

The car hit the door of Lebury Methodist Church adjacent to a kitchen area

A church has been damaged after being hit by a car that became embedded in a wall as a knitting club met inside the premises.

The vehicle crashed into Ledbury Methodist Church at about 18:30 BST on Wednesday, moments after hitting another vehicle on Bye Street.

West Mercia Police said no injuries were reported, although both drivers were advised by fire officers to attend hospital for treatment.

The road has been shut in both directions between the clock tower and the fire station for recovery work. The vehicle remained stuck in the wall as of Thursday afternoon.

Church minister, the Reverend Phil Warrey, said the car was still embedded in the wall on Thursday afternoon, with builders working to install a prop

Church minister, the Reverend Phil Warrey, said about 10 members of a knitting and crochet club had been inside the building at the time of the crash, but none were hurt.

He described members hearing a "loud bang" and the vehicle "embedding itself into the wall of the church, destroying the fire exit, pushing the wall in for about a foot and a half".

"Our folk obviously rushed out with a first aid kit," he added. "Local folk rallied round looking after the drivers of the two cars."

He said nobody was "seriously hurt" but described some "minor injuries" and a lady who had been making tea in the kitchen, metres from the point of impact, as "quite shocked".

Local residents had since been popping in all day to check everything was all right, he added. "Ledbury's like that - we rally round for each other," he said.

Builders at the scene planned to put in a prop to support the wall so the embedded vehicle could be safely removed.

The church planned to open for Sunday service, Mr Warrey said, although numbers would be limited to 60.