A STREET in Tavistock town centre has been closed after guttering and tiling fell onto a car travelling underneath it, narrowly missing the driver.

The incident happened in Elbow Lane off Brook Street around 9.30am this morning.

Witnesses saw guttering and tiling fall from a building next to Clinton Cards onto local man Nigel Bell’s car as he drove underneath. It smashed onto the roof, splintering the windscreen, with the force of the impact wrenching out the driver’s light inside and knocking off the car’s rear view mirror.

Mr Bell said: ‘It’s lucky I wasn’t killed, I literally couldn’t have timed this any worse.’

Mr Bell immediately contacted the police following the incident.

Clinton Cards has also temporarily closed whilst workmen from Tavistock Town Council assess the damage. The town council workmen were on the scene shortly after it happened.