TWO men have been arrested after reportedly crashing a van into a front garden.

Police were called to a house in Sunnybank Road at 4.30pm after a white Peugeot Partner van was crashed through a front garden fence.

A witness said the van 'came flying down' Park Lee Road before misjudging the turn onto Sunnybank Road and smashing through the fence into the front garden opposite the junction.

She said two men left the van and walked away shortly before the police arrived.

She said: "I heard one hell of a bang and thought someone had come through my wall.

"I ran out and saw the van in the garden across the road.

"Two men got out and just walked away, one went up the street the other went down.

"I'm not even surprised by it anymore. It's a really dangerous junction, I've had cars come through my wall.

"It's a wonder no one was hurt, on a day like today they could have been sitting out in their front garden."

A Police spokesman said two men had been arrested following the collision.

He said: "We got the call at 4.30pm for collision involving a car in a garden.

"We had initial reports of two men making off from the scene, one with no shoes on.

"At 5pm two men were arrested on suspicion of drink driving, the shoes have not been recovered."

Park Lee Road road resident Neil Parker said the street, which is limited to 20mph and is home to East Lancashire Hospice and Longshaw Junior School, is notorious for speeding cars.

He said: "I saw the van go passed, it was just like a white flash. Then I heard screeching and a crash.

"It must have been doing 60 or 70 mile per hour which is not unusual on that street because it's a long stretch of road.

"You can see where they have tried to turn left onto Sunnybank Road and gone over into the garden.

"If you come at a corner that fast there's no way you can make it.

"It's happened before and I've complained to the council about the speed cars are travelling at.

"Hopefully this will give someone at the council a kick up the rear and something will be done about it."