A CAR crashed through a shop window.

The incident happened on Saturday at about 10am, when the vehicle crashed into the Farthings antique shop in the High Street in Rottingdean, as a woman attempted to navigate around a planter in the road.

John Ramos, one of the shop’s owners, was about to turn the lights on near the shop window when the accident occurred.

The 75-year-old said: “I’m still in shock.

“It was like an explosion and I had to run back from the glass flying everywhere.

“It was very scary.

“I’m afraid another accident will happen if no-one takes the right decision to remove the planter in the High Street.”

The large wooden planter in the road was installed in October by Brighton and Hove City Council, and the decision has been widely criticised by residents.

Changes to the road layout were made in an attempt to stop traffic building up in the High Street and to reduce air pollution.

Mr Ramos said: “The driver was a middle-aged woman. She had tried to turn.

“Afterwards she was shaking but she was OK.

“Luckily no-one was hurt, but if they don’t do something soon I’m afraid someone will be.”

John said residents intend to start a petition for the planter to be removed from the street.

He is also concerned about the pavement being too narrow and the dangers for elderly people and parents with prams.

He said: “They say it is to avoid pollution but I can’t see how it is working to do that.

“It is one of the council’s silly ideas.

“They should listen to residents.”

Annabel Tarrant is a trader from Saltdean who rents a section in the Farthings antiques shop.

The 58-year-old said: “The road situation is horrifying and ridiculous.

“I don’t blame the woman at all.

“I know myself that driving around that planter is tricky.

“You do it as quickly as you can and she just came through the window.

“The talk on the street is that it was inevitable.This traffic calming measure has not worked.

“It’s the equivalent of having to overtake a lorry on a really busy road with a blind corner.”

Firemen, paramedics and police were called to the scene on Saturday, but no-one was believed to be seriously hurt.