An elderly driver had a lucky escape when she drove across a packed promenade and was left dangling over the edge in her car.

Tourists were forced to get out of the way as her green Nissan Micra lurched across the pavement and smashed through the iron railings in Eastbourne yesterday.

The pensioner, a woman in her seventies, was treated for shock by a paramedic at the scene but nobody was injured.

Andy Byrne, 49, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said: "The prom was packed and suddenly we heard a smash and looked round. People were running out of the way.

"The back wheels were up in the air and still spinning and she was in the front, in a state of total shock."

Another onlooker said: "She was trying to park and she must have hit the accelerator instead of the brake."

The incident happened at about 3.30pm, as Eastbourne enjoyed the warmest day of the year so far with temperatures hitting 21C.

Firefighters were called and it took five to rock the stranded vehicle back on to its wheels and heave it back on to the pavement as a crowd watched.