Shoppers and passers-by in a County Durham town have been left shaken after a ‘near-miss’ saw a HGV plough into the side of a charity shop – narrowly missing people on the pavement.

Emergency services were called to Middle Street in Consett at around 10.40am on Thursday (September 22) following reports of a lorry that had smashed into a shop on the street.

After arriving on the scene, officers found a HGV that had lost control on the road and had driven straight through the store window – leaving shards of glass over the pavement.

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It’s not yet known the factors surrounding the collision – but Durham Police and the North East Ambulance Service has confirmed that no one was injured during the incident.

A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “At around 10.40am we were alerted to an incident in which an HGV had collided with the shutters of premises in Middle Street, Consett.

The Northern Echo: A HGV crashes into Delta North Charity shop in Consett, County Durham. Picture: CONSETT CHATTER BOX 2A HGV crashes into Delta North Charity shop in Consett, County Durham. Picture: CONSETT CHATTER BOX 2 (Image: CONSETT CHATTER BOX 2)

“Police attended the scene to ensure public safety while the vehicle was recovered.”

Following the crash, images appeared on social media showing the HGV, which had crashed into the North Delta Consett charity shop, with shocked onlookers seen next to the vehicle.

The police say they are still investigating the incident at this time.

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