Tight squeeze! Car gets wedged in basement alley outside historic Bath hotel after crashing through railings – leaving diners bemused
- Car ended up on its side outside historic Francis Hotel, Bath on Sunday morning
- Police said a 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving
A car has ended up wedged on its side in a basement alleyway outside a historic Bath hotel after crashing through railings.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to the Francis Hotel in Queen Square at around 4.45am on Sunday.
Onlookers walking past the hotel were surprised when they discovered a Kia off the road there.
Avon and Somerset Police said a 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and released on unconditional bail while further enquiries take place.
A picture from the scene on Queen Square shows the car appearing to have gone through the railings on the road and landed in the basement alleyway separating the hotel from the street.
A car has ended up on its side after crashing through railings outside the Francis Hotel in Bath
Onlookers walking past the hotel were surprised when they discovered a Kia off the road there
The picture also shows debris, including large chunks of stones and brick, strewn across the alleyway. The section of railing where the vehicle crashed through has been removed and taped off.
People walking past can be seen smiling in bemusement at the situation.
One woman, 47-year-old Emily, was visiting family from London for Mother’s Day lunch when she saw the accident.
She told BBC West: ‘We thought it might have been a small fire but we looked over the railings and there was a whole car fitted in there and people making jokes about parking – you can’t really see how it got down there.
‘There was quite a large section of the railings that were broken and some stonework had also been damaged, so you could see it must have been quite high impact.’
A spokesperson for the hotel told MailOnline they were unable to comment on the situation today.
The hotel remains open for business.
The section of railing where the vehicle crashed through has been removed and taped off
One person in the car was rescued by a crew from Avon Fire & Rescue Service, while a second occupant had got out by the time emergency services arrived, police said.
In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police wrote: ‘An investigation is under way after a car collided with railings and went into the basement area of a hotel in Bath.
‘The collision happened at around 4.45am on Sunday (March 19) outside the Francis Hotel in Queen Square.
‘One of the occupants of the car, a Kia Picanto, was rescued by a crew from Avon Fire & Rescue Service, while a second occupant had got out of the car by the time emergency services arrived.
‘A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink and he’s been released on unconditional bail so further enquiries can take place.
‘We’d like to speak to anyone who saw this collision, or who may have any dashcam or mobile phone footage which may be relevant to our ongoing investigation.
‘If you can help, please call or contact us online.’
