Trafalgar restaurant in Fleetwood open again - less than a week after car ploughed through the front of it

Russell Smith, one of four family owners of the Trafalgar Restaurant on North Albert Street, says he is only able to open again tonight (Friday August 11) for the first time since the accident, because of the incredible help and support he has received in the town.

The restaurant will be operating at a reduced capacity – 40 diners instead of 60 – after a stud wall was put up to partition off the damaged area.

Russell says the building has been assessed as structurally sound to enable customers to come back in.

The accident occurred at around 2.30pm on Saturday (August 5).

Witnesses said the driver reversed her white Toyota Auris through the window of a restaurant.

The Trafalgar closed at the time but did have team members prepping the evening service when the incident happened.

Luckily no one was injured in the incident and the driver also walked away unscathed.

Russell, 58, said: "It did come as a shock and it’s not what anyone would want, but it could have been a lot worse.

“It was a miracle that it didn’t happen on Sunday, the day after, because the restaurant would have been full of people.

"It really doesn’t bear thinking about.

"And if the car had hit a few feet further along, it would have hit a pillar and brought the whole building down.

"After it happened I didn’t know where to start, to be honest, but friends and people we know have really helped.

"One of them, Sam Newson, somehow managed to remove all the rubble the same day, and that allowed us to board the building up.

"Another friend, Nick Clarkson, helped us put the partition wall up, which has made a massive difference.

"We’ve a lot f regular customers who have become friends and they have really rallied round for us.”

The family doesn’t know the exact cost of the accident – major structurural work will need to be done to repair the front of the building.

When that work begins, the 55 year old restaurant business, which is known for the quality of its fish dishes, will temporarily close once again.

In the meantime Russel and wife Delyse, and his brother Aaron and wife Andrea, will continue to serve customers.