Hampshire pub evacuated after car crashes into it
A pub in Hampshire had to be evacuated after a car crashed into it.
The blue coloured BMW crashed into the Mermaid in New Road, Portsmouth, on Saturday afternoon.
The driver, a man aged in his 30s, and the front seat passenger, a woman in her 20s, are both in hospital with serious, but not life threatening injuries, police said.
Another woman, who was inside the pub at the time of the crash, suffered minor injuries.
The driver of the BMW had to be cut free from the vehicle by firefighters.
Fire crews from Southsea and Cosham attended the crash scene with three fire appliances and the special equipment unit.
The Fire Service Urban Search and Rescue Team who have recently returned from a rescue mission in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami also attended the incident after fears that the building may become unsafe.
The building was then shored up before the car could be removed.
Roads in the area of the collision were closed for more than an hour while emergency services were at the scene.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Hampshire Police.