A mother and son had a lucky escape after a van rolled down a hill and smashed down the wall in front of her home.

The accident happened in Spindle Road, Old Catton, just after 8am this morning.

Laura Howard, 28, who lives on the street, said she heard a loud noise before the brick wall and black metal railings just a couple of metres in front of her house were severely damaged.

She said a white Ford Transit van had rolled from the top of a hill into a large red Kia car, parked at the bottom of the slope in front of her home.

The impact of the crash knocked down the wall and the car was left hanging over the debris.

She said: 'It happened five minutes before I was taking my six-year-old son to school.

'I think the man in the van is going to be ok but it was a shock.

'I was quite lucky because my car didn't have a scratch on it.'

Her vehicle was parked next to the Kia, which was removed from Spindle Road at around 10.30am.

Miss Howard said the van was travelling down the hill backwards and hit the wing mirror of a blue BMW parked at the side of the road before colliding with the Kia.

Firefighters had to cut the van owner out of the vehicle.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: 'An ambulance crew was dispatched to assist the patient involved, thought to be a man in his 50s, who had suffered a suspected back injury in the incident.

'Thankfully, his injuries aren't thought to be life-threatening, and after care at the scene he was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for further treatment, where we wish him the very best for a speedy recovery.'

Police officers were also called.