Fire engine driver arrested over restaurant crash

Lindsey Alder,in Worcesterand
Elliot Ball,West Midlands
News imageBBC Benedictos in Worcester is pictured from the outside. The building is painted dark green with three green plant pots outside the building. Two of the large plant pots are slightly dented and scraped. BBC
A firefighter has been arrested after the fire engine he was driving crashed into a restaurant, injuring three people

A firefighter has been arrested after the fire engine he was driving crashed into a Worcestershire restaurant, police have said.

The incident saw two people suffer serious injuries while a third suffered minor injuries when the emergency vehicle struck them outside Benedictos, in Worcester, at about 18:00 BST on Saturday.

West Mercia Police said the driver, a man in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving and has since been released under investigation.

The restaurant owner, Tano Cinao, said: "I looked at it and I saw the fire engine come through the restaurant, inside the restaurant and it was just shocking."

He added: "I put my hands on my head as though it was the end. We had people upstairs, people downstairs in the cellar, so if it was going through the restaurant it would have been a tragedy."

News imageA man with grey hair and a white beard stands in front of a large glass window wearing a blue polo top.
Tano Cinao, the owner of Benedictos, said he was stood with his hands on his head as he watched the fire engine crash into his business

The Italian restaurant owner said despite the crash, he was "very proud" of his staff and thanked them for being "fantastic".

"I'm glad no-one has a life threatening injury. We've kept in touch with the people [injured] because we know them very well."

The BBC has contacted Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service for comment.

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