BOSSES at a Chinese restaurant forced to close after a car smashed through their business have re-opened hours after the dramatic crash.

A Ford Mondeo, which witnesses said was being raced against another car at the time of the smash, was embedded in the front of the Royal Phoenix restaurant in Oswaldtwistle, on Tuesday morning.

The driver climbed out of the car before getting in to a silver Mondeo and speeding off, bystanders said.

The Wong family, who run the restaurant in Union Road, had a lucky escape, as they were all upstairs at the time of the incident.

And now they have boarded up the damage and are open for business as usual.

Owner, Vinitta Wong, who had been asleep above the restaurant with her husband, Joe, and three children, Isabelle, five, and two-year-old twins, Justin and Levi, called on community support.

The 23-year-old, who has helped to run the family business for the past six years, said: "It's our busiest time of year and we just thought we have got to get on with it.

"So, all the family got involved in the clear up and we are going to be serving customers as usual as we have loads of bookings.

"We have made it safe and stopped the draft coming through and now all we need is for the local community to come and support us."

Witnesses said the blue Mondeo being driven by 'boy racers' sped around a corner before skidding and crashing through the front window.

Locals said the car was being driven by what appeared to be an underage boy and was being pursued by a silver Mondeo when the driver lost control coming round a bend in Frederick Street.

It careered into a metal fence before smashing through the large glass window of the restaurant and coming to a standstill just before the front counter.

Police are still hunting the hit-and-run yobs and are investigating whether the car was stolen.