PICTURES: Taxi collides with tapas restaurant

Nobody was trapped after the taxi, which had collided with another car, became embedded in the front of La Farola in East Grinstead last night.

“We just heard a crash and the car was crashed through the door,” said Rocio Figueria, who was having a drink at the bar with staff.

A door to the restaurant appears to have been mostly destroyed in the incident, with damage also caused to the surrounding stonework.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue received a call from police at 11.03pm and attended the address in London Road to make the scene safe, a spokesperson for the fire service confirmed.

Police were already at the restaurant when they arrived.

No injuries were reported and the fire service left at 11.36, with restaurant staff awaiting a company to come and board up the damage.

The blinds were shut since the restaurant had closed, so Ms Figueria says she did not see anything until car lights started shining through the hole in the door.

“All we could hear was the noise and all we could see was a light,” she said.

She was about five metres away from the spot where the car came through, she added.

The spanish restaurant does not open on Tuesdays but staff expect it to be open as usual on tomorrow.

The taxi company has been approached for comment.

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