This picture shows the moment a Norwich salon owner and a customer had a close shave when a driver ploughed through the front of the shop.

Eastern Daily Press: Paul Brand outside the front of Honky Tonks. Pic: Peter WalshPaul Brand outside the front of Honky Tonks. Pic: Peter Walsh (Image: Archant)

Paul Brand, who owns Honky Tonks hairdressers on St Giles Street, was working on his final client of the day when suddenly a black car, driven by a motorist who had recently passed her test, smashed into the window, sending glass and hair products flying.

Mr Brand, 53, said: 'It was a bit of a surprise to say the least. I was the only person in the shop, cutting my final client's hair.

'I was cutting away and the next thing there was an almighty bang which sounded like an electrical blow out but 10 times worse.

'Fortunately he (my client) had both ears attached and we turned around to see a Peugeot car had come through the shop.' Mr Brand said the car, which had taken out both window displays, did not encroach too far into the salon.

He said: 'Luckily we have a concrete lintel which stopped the car from going any further into the shop. It could've been far more serious.'

It is understood the driver, who had P plates on the car, had recently passed her test and had been in the area to pick up her child from a nearby nursery.

Emergency services including police and ambulance crews were called, but no-one was hurt as a result of the incident which happened at about 5.50pm on Thursday.

A spokesman for Norfolk Police confirmed they were called after a car crashed into the window of a shop on St Giles but added that there were no injuries.

Despite the crash, Mr Brand said the shop has been able to re-open as normal.

Meanwhile elsewhere police were called to another crash close to the front of a store.

Officers were called to the Tesco Express store on Acres Way, Thorpe Marriott, at about 12.05pm on June 8 after a silver BMW mounted the pavement and then crashed into a parked car.

No one was injured but the East of England Ambulance Service were called as a precaution.

There was also no structural damage to the Tesco store but a fixed bin on the pavement was knocked down.