A CAR smashed into a corner shop during a police pursuit.

The incident in Wensley Road, Blackburn ruptured a gas pipe and forced nearby residents to evacuate their homes in the middle of the night.

Engineers were also called to survey Wensley Fold News around 2.30am yesterday after a Volkswagen Passat ploughed through metal shutters and a glass window. It also collided with a parked car.

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The driver ran from the scene before he could be arrested, police said.

Shop owner Mubarak Ughradar, 37, who was able to partly open his shop yesterday after structural checks, said the damage was ‘extensive’.

He said: “I had a call off a relative to say there had been an accident at my shop.

“I rushed down to see what had happened and I couldn’t believe what I saw.

“The car had gone through the shutter causing extensive damage.

“The emergency vehicles were here for around three hours going through everything and there was a structural engineer on site making sure the building was safe.”

Officers said they were unable to disclose why they had started pursuing the Passat from Blackburn’s Lower Audley Street minutes before the collision.

Residents said they were shocked and scared to be awoken by a loud bang and then evacuated.

Abdul Latif, 57, who lives in Wensley Road, said: “I heard a loud bang and I shot up out of bed.

“A couple of minutes later the police were down the street and asking everyone to get outside and away from the shop because there was a gas leak.

“You could smell it in the air, it was really thick and everyone was worried about what had happen and if there would be an explosion.

“I was sat in my car for a few hours while the police and the fire cleaned up and made the area safe.

“It was cold and wet and I didn’t get back into my bed until around 4.30am.”

Mr Ughradar’s sister, Farzana Patel, 40, also lives in Wensley Road.

She said: “We were woken up by a police officer trying to evacuate us from our house because of the fear of a gas explosion.

“It was very scary. I’ve got three children who were all in bed and we all had to stand outside.

“The gas smelt horrible. It was awful to see my brother’s shop damaged so badly.”

Mr Ughradar, who has owned Wensley Fold News for 16 years, said he was concerned about the effect this could have on his business.

He said: “This shop is my only business interest.

“Until now I have never had a problem on this road.

“There has been a lot of damage, but it could have been worse and the shop could have been completely destroyed.

“It’s OK for the driver because he was able to walk away from the incident.

“But, this is my livelihood and I have got a family to feed. I am worried about the effect this could have.

“I’m very angry and upset.”

Lee Garnett, watch manager at Blackburn fire station, said: “A gas pipe was ruptured in the collision causing a large escape of gas in the area.

“A cordon control was put in place due to a high risk of explosion and a number of properties were evacuated.

“Firefighters used Dammit putty to stem the gas flow until the pipe was isolated by National Grid.”

A National Grid spokesman said: “The gas service pipe had been damaged in an accident.

“We shut the supply off, removed any lingering gas and then returned later that day to replace the plastic piping.”

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