The landlord of a historic pub has described how a man “escorted from the premises” was the driver of a car which then crashed into the front door, injuring four people.
Police were called to the Cinque Ports Arms in New Romney, Kent, at 9.52pm on Friday, after the silver Vauxhall Corsa collided with the front of the building, pushing in the door.
Owner of the Grade II listed building, Kevin Gibbons, claimed that at about 9.30pm a man in his 20s was escorted from the premises before he got into a car which hit “the front of the pub, subsequently causing injuries to some of our patrons and staff”.
The damage could be seen inside the pub (Cinque Ports Arms/PA)
Mr Gibbons added: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff who not only remained calm but acted in a highly professional manner to ensure that our customers and children above the pub were safely evacuated while assisting the emergency services.
“We would also like to thank the emergency services for their rapid response and the service they provided.
“We have had builders working throughout the night to make the pub structurally safe and will be carrying on with business as usual.”
A Kent Police spokesman said: “A 24-year-old man from New Romney, reported to be the driver of the car, has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in custody.
“Four other people are reported to have been injured, with three men taken to a local hospital for treatment to injuries that have not been reported to be life threatening. The fourth injured person did not require hospital treatment.”