The team at Robinson Reade in Park Gate, near Fareham, is recovering after a car crashed through the front of the office on Wednesday afternoon.

The driver was unharmed but two members of staff at the office, Emma and Claire, were injured and “very shaken up” by the incident, though neither had to go to hospital.

Jane Earley, the owner and director of Robinson Reade, was out of the office at the time but was contacted by the neighbouring shopkeeper and returned immediately.

Seeing two fire engines, five ambulances and three police cars in attendance she was “a bit scary”, she said, but the ladies were there to tell her what had happened.

“Claire, who sat in the window, heard the revving of the engine and saw the car coming towards her and was able to move out of the way. The girls upstairs heard the almighty bang.

“The car caught one of the sofas by the window, which pushed it across the room into my other colleague, Emma, who was pinned up against the wall. She’s got massive bruising all down her legs.

“I think Claire was more disturbed by it. She’s an ex police officer but very shaken up by watching the car carrying on towards Emma and not being able to do anything about it. It’s really upset her.”

Jane has been to see the driver, who has no local family, and was glad to see that the lady was uninjured.

Reaction to the incident has been overwhelming, Jane said: “The local businesses here have been so supportive and helpful. We’ve got people popping in with flowers for us and asking if there’s anything to do to help.”

The Robinson Reade office is open for “business as usual”, though the two injured ladies are absent on pre-planned leave. The team are working upstairs in the spacious building and customers can come in through a side door.

While the downstairs is waiting to be repaired and cleared of wreckage through the landlord, the team has cleared a little space to get to the photocopier – office equipment still useful to the agency team and grateful neighbours.

“I had a bloke come in today and he said ‘Could you photocopy something for me?’” Jane laughed.

Hopefully a sign that things will be back to normal very soon at Robinson Reade.