A YOUNG chef had a lucky escape when a car smashed through a Canford Cliffs restaurant as he stood by the window.

Gab Calipa, 21, was making coffee on the counter in front of the window in Gossip, Haven Road, at about 10.30am on Saturday.

He was looking down and did not see a car come towards him - but heard an almighty bang and glass started to shower towards him.

An elderly driver is thought to have been in the silver Peugeot 206, when it smashed into the window of the restaurant.

Gab said: "The first thing I did was scream - it was a shock. I was lucky I was wearing my cap, otherwise I'd have been more badly hurt.

"I had a piece of glass in my chin but I took it out with a pair of tweezers.

"It all happened so quickly. I didn't know it was a car until I walked to the other end of the counter and looked back."

The restaurant staff called the ambulance and the driver was taken to Poole hospital with minor injuries.

The restaurant was closed for the rest of the day.

Manager Alex Marra said he would lose a day's takings. He said he would have been open when the accident happened, with customers sitting at the table by the window.

"It's lucky we had problems with the dish washer or we would have been open at 10am," he said.

First published: January 31