A Malton shop severely damaged when a car careered through a display window was back in business today.

Alison Hall, who owns Halls Bags and Cases, in Yorkersgate, says she expects the damage to be repaired by next week.

"The window has been boarded up and there is a lot of work to do but we'll soon have everything back in order," she said.

Stunned passers-by watched in horror yesterday as the car, which had been in collision with another vehicle, went across a main road and through the shop front at Yorkersgate at the junction with Railway Street.

Three pensioners, who were in the two vehicles, escaped almost unscathed.

Two men who were travelling in a black VW Polo were taken to Malton Hospital to be treated for shock while a woman driving a red Vauxhall Nova was treated for shock at the scene by paramedics.

Staff at Wallis Business Services, in Yorkersgate, said though they did not see the accident they heard an "almighty bang".

"We went to see what had happened and couldn't believe our eyes," said one member of staff.

No one was in the shop at the time of the accident, but Mrs Hall returned later and broke down in tears.

Afterwards she said she could not believe her eyes when she was confronted by the sight of a car sitting halfway inside her shop.

"We had the shop front entirely re-decorated a couple of months ago - I can't believe it's all going to have to be done again," she told the Evening Press.

Updated: 10:55 Friday, May 25, 2001