A FAMILY narrowly escaped being hit by a runaway car as it careered through the grounds of a Guisborough pub on Tuesday.

A woman motorist, thought to be in her seventies, is believed to have lost control of her Renault Clio while in the public car park next to Bells Stores at the junction of Stokesley Road and The Avenue.

The automatic hatchback careered across the car park and headed for the Voyager public house. It hit two stationary cars, careered down steps to the pub, past a children's play area and the front entrance, smashing hand rails, beer tables, a flood light and a plant tub on its way.

Two adults and two small children, who had in the beer garden, left the pub just moments before the car smashed past where they had been sitting.

Landlord Andy Slaney said: "The family were very lucky. They only left a couple of minutes at most before it happened. It could've been a real catastrophe, especially as it was right next to the play area.

"I thought it was quite funny when I saw the car going past the window, until I saw how serious it could've been and the damage that had been caused."

The car eventually came to a standstill on grass near Stokesley Road.

A Cleveland police spokeswoman said paramedics gave first aid to an elderly male passenger who suffered leg injuries.