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Witnesses have described hearing what they thought was an explosion as a car crashed into a hairdressers this morning.

Emergency services were called around 10.30am to the junction of High Road and St Albans Road, South Woodford.

A Honda Jazz and a Vauxhall Astra collided, with the Honda careering past people walking on the pavement and embedding itself in Giovanni Hairdressers.

There are currently still delays in the area with recovery work ongoing.

Police said the accident was damage-only and while the female driver of the Honda was attended to by paramedics, she was not injured.

There were no other reported injuries.

Daniel Arnauchkov heard the collision in his St Albans Road house.

The 20-year-old said: “I was still in bed when I heard a big bang which I thought was an explosion.

“I realised it was serious when I saw all the fire engines and police cars in the road.

“I am struggling to understand how the car ended up in the shop.”

The hairdressers was closed today with the owner currently on holiday and her sister Dora Cotte said the situation could have been much worse.

She said: “Someone could have been killed because the car went straight into the waiting area with sofas.

“It is so lucky that it was closed today but my sister is going to be devastated.”

Maria Lysandrou, who works at the hairdressers, said it was planning to open as soon as possible.

“I couldn't believe it when I got the call, I headed down here straight away," she said.

"We will assess the damage and get the shop secure.

“We are fully booked for the week so we will hopefully be open again quickly.”

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

The female driver was unhurt in the crash.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Witnesses heard a huge bang as the Honda smashed into the hairdressers.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

The hairdressers was closed today at the time of the crash.