THE manager at a Leominster bakery has spoken of her shock when a car ploughed into the front of the Leominster store.

What was a normal Wednesday at Central Bakery in West Street soon turned into a crime scene when a car smashed into the shopfront, causing extensive damage.

Manager Hannah Lewis, who has been at the helm of the family business for the past two years, said she was in the kitchen when she heard the deafening crash on November 4.

Hereford Times: A car drove into the front of Central Bakery in West Street, Leominster. Picture: Leominster fire station

"I was in the back kitchen at the time, it had closed, and it was just me and another member of staff, who had just popped to the bank when it happened," Miss Lewis, 42 from Credenhill, said.

"I was finishing some baking and heard this huge noise, not knowing where it was or what it was.

"I was looking in the bakery thinking it was a whole shelving unit which had fallen down, and then thought I'd just check out the window. When I looked out the window there was a car backing out."

Hereford Times: A car drove into the front of Central Bakery in West Street, Leominster. Picture: Leominster fire station

The driver failed to stop at the scene of the crash, Miss Lewis added, but West Mercia Police said officers had arrested a 44-year-old man from Stourbridge on suspicion of drink-driving. He has been bailed to later appear in court.

Despite the devastation, the community rallied around to make sure the bakery, which has been in the same family for more than 40 years, could reopen the following day.

"We opened straight away at the normal time, to be honest we had got it all sorted.

"The kind people of Leominster, everyone knows everyone, so we managed to source a builder who came and boarded it straight up.

"Highways came then and sorted it all and got rid of all the oil, so apart from the boards it all looks similar to what it was.

"The fire brigade, the rescue service, were there for ages just checking there was no structural damage and they did give up a lot of their time so I'm hugely grateful to them."

Hereford Times: A car drove into the front of Central Bakery in West Street, Leominster. Picture: Melanie Page

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service was called to the West Street shop at around 4pm on Wednesday after the car smashed into the front of Central Bakery.

A spokesperson said the car wasn't there when a fire crew arrived and they were "dealing with the building".

Eyewitness Melanie Page said: "I heard and saw it from being in the queue at the Post Office opposite."