Casters staff heartbroken as car smashes into Alsager restaurant

Brad Lancaster is expecting contractors to assess the damage soon

A restaurant owner has said staff are "heartbroken" after a car smashed into the front of the building on Saturday morning.

Police say a white BMW X3 hit street lights on Lawton Road in Alsager in Cheshire just before 03:00 BST and then went into Casters on Bank Corner.

The car, which had been reported stolen, was found later found abandoned nearby.

Restaurateur Brad Lancaster said he did not known when it would reopen.

"The front and the side of it is glass, so obviously it's just penetrated and smashed everything," he said.

"Taken the full front of the restaurant out basically."

The restaurant was closed at the time and Mr Lancaster said his father broke the news.

Now, he is waiting to hear what structural damage might have been done and how long it will take to repair.

The building is boarded up for the time being and some Casters staff have been given work in Mr Lancaster's other restaurant.

He has also had to cancel some bookings, including a surprise 30th birthday party.

"We're just taking it day by day at the moment," he said.