A SHOP assistant escaped death by inches after joyriders in a stolen car careered off Kidderminster ring road and ploughed into a fish and chip shop just as she was getting ready to close. Christo Chambi and Costos Panteli

outside the devastated Kidderminster takeaway yesterday morning.

The woman, who does not want to be named, was serving the last customer at Bewdley Road Fish Bar at 11.50pm on Tuesday when the vehicle smashed through the front of the takeaway and the adjoining Hospitals League of Friends charity shop before embedding itself in a supporting wall.

The impact brought boarding and brickwork crashing down with one piece of stone landing on the woman's left foot, causing her severe bruising.

Christo Chambi, 27, manager of the takeaway, was in the back of the shop working with Costos Panteli at the time.

Mr Chambi said: "The building shook - it was like an earthquake. All this dust poured into the room and I rushed in to see if the lady in the front was OK.

"The car went right by her and material came crashing down. She is very lucky to be alive. If it had been me I would be religious right now. It was a miracle she was not killed."

The driver of the car and a passenger, both in their early 20s, fled from the scene in the direction of Kidderminster Hospital. The blue Renault Megane was stolen shortly before from Orchard Street, Kidderminster after a burglary.

Max Lambourne, 22, an education welfare officer with Worcestershire County Council, had parked outside the takeaway moments before the accident.

He said: "The car came off the island at considerable speed - I don't know whether the driver lost control - and went into the shops at a diagonal angle."

The car smashed into his Skoda Felicia on its path of destruction. "I was very lucky," added Mr Lambourne who said he was "shaken up".

Police and firefighters arrived within minutes and the parade of seven shops was evacuated.

Wyre Forest District Council building surveyor Ian Martin was also called out because of fears the shop could collapse and was back at the scene yesterday morning.

As the Shuttle/Times & News went to press the A456 Kidderminster to Bewdley road was still closed to traffic and structural engineers from the district council were working to make the building safe.

Barry Norgrove, Kidderminster Harriers vice-chairman who owns the charity shop and fish shop, said: "The structural damage was tremendous. We can't get the car out until we shore the wall up or it could collapse. The main thing is to get Bewdley Road open again. You can see the traffic chaos."

Kidderminster Police have appealed for information. The driver of the car had short dark hair and was wearing a dark top while the passenger had blond hair.