A FOREIGN couple had a lucky escape when their car ploughed through a wall and iron railings into a garden in Charmouth.

Their vehicle hurtled into a residential garden in The Street and came to a stop right in front of a 'Private - No Parking' sign.

A 69-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman were left shaken but escaped without injuries following the incident last Thursday afternoon.

The couple, on holiday from Korea, were travelling in their hire car up Charmouth's main street, but the Audi Q3 ended up facing back down the hill.

Ian Simpson, joint owner of the White House Hotel, was shocked to see the white car veer into his driveway before finally parking in his neighbour's garden.

He was in the hotel's bar when he heard a loud noise and went out to investigate.

Mr Simpson said: “I don't know exactly what happened, but I looked up to see a white car going through the fencing and into the next door garden.

“It was an elderly Korean couple who were trying to turn into the driveway of the hotel to come and enquire about a room.

“I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow they ended up in the garden next door.

“They were actually coming up the hill and managed to do a 180 degree turn. I think his foot got stuck on the accelerator and the wheel was full lock and he shot round through our driveway.

“Fortunately he missed the big concrete post but went through the cast iron railings and into next door's garden.

“They weren't hurt, just a bit shaken obviously so we had the ambulance and police came out.

“It was quite a weird thing, not what you expect to happen.”

Mr Simpson said the house is a second home and the owners were not in at the time, but it was lucky no one was sitting outside his hotel.

“I'm just so pleased that nobody was sitting outside having a relaxing drink,” he said. “They would have got quite a shock.”

Mr Simpson said the tourists stayed at the hotel for the night and were picked up on Friday morning by the hire company to take them to a replacement car.

He added: “They were off on their way a little bit shaken and embarrassed, but not hurt.”

Charmouth resident Peter Crowter saw the car sitting in the garden while he was driving through the village and went back with his camera to see the damage.

He said: “I couldn't believe it when I saw it parked in the garden.

“What made it look even funnier was the no parking sign right in front of the car.”

A spokesman for Dorset Police said the incident was reported at 3.30pm last Thursday, adding: “It was a white Audi Q3 registered to a company in Uxbridge, Middlesex.

“The two people in the vehicle were out of the vehicle when officers arrived and ambulance attended.”