Extensive damage to Leeds florist's shop after car lost control on Harrogate Road

The vehicle smashed through two boundary walls outside The Perfumed Garden in Chapel Allerton last night, shifting an entire section of the shop’s frontage by several inches and destroying newly built wooden display stands.

The doorway to a flat above was cracked, one of the shop windows was smashed and gas pipes were also damaged.

Carole Taylor, who runs the business with her husband, said she had been shocked to see the extent of the damage when she opened up this morning.

“Straight away we had so many neighbours coming across to say they heard it and rang the police,” she said.

Witnesses told officers how the driver had got out of the car, checked it over and driven off.

Mrs Taylor said police had been taking statements from those who saw the crash in Harrogate Road and were reviewing CCTV footage from the area.

Pieces of the car were also being pulled out of the debris as it was cleared ahead of repairs.

Mrs Taylor, 48, said: “The whole shop front has moved about two inches to the left. They’ve caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.”

But she said she was relieved the crash happened overnight and not when pupils were arriving for classes at nearby Chapel Allerton Primary School.

And the response from customers and the community had been a welcome tonic, with many offering to help clear up.

“I’m really grateful that so many people have so much information on the crash and were looking out for us,” she said. “It just makes us feel a lot safer knowing there are good people out there.

“The damage is repairable and we can work around it for now. We’ll just do the best we can, muck in and keep going.”