A pensioner was jolted out of his bed by the impact when a car smashed into the shop below his Worthing flat early today.

Dozens of people ran into the street after the white BMW crashed into Pep the Printers in Tarring Road at about 2.30am.

The car is thought to have demolished a nearby church wall and a garden wall before ploughing into the printer's.

Paddy Reilly, 79, who lives above the shop, "was literally lifted from his bed by the force of the crash". Today he was too shaken to talk.

The driver, who was questioned by police at the scene after being found sitting on a nearby wall, suffered minor injuries Mr Reilly's son Mike, owner of the shop, said: "Dad normally has someone stay with him. This was the first time he had stayed on his own since my mum passed away last November. It was a trial run to see if he was all right on his own.

"He is deaf so he didn't hear anything but he was literally lifted out of his bed by the force of the crash. His bedroom is directly above the shop. He had no idea what had happened."

Angie Brown, 27, who lives nearby, said: "My babysitter and seven-year-old daughter Gabrielle woke up to what sounded like a big explosion.

"We went outside and the whole of my wall was demolished. The car had apparently crashed into it, along with the church wall next door, and then reversed before going into the printers.

"The garden is full of rubble. The police told me if it hadn't been a heavy flint wall, the car would have ended up in my lounge."

Pep shop manager Andrew Landon said: "The car had ploughed through the window and then the counter, taking computers and photocopiers with it. There is a lot of damage. The shop front is a complete write-off.

"I am disappointed because we spent a lot of time and thousands of pounds refitting the shop last year."

Today he was trading from a studio at the back of the shop. Staff have offered to work nights for no extra pay to get jobs out on time.

Mike Reilly added: "I am just glad no one was hurt. Andrew's brother Mark Landon had been working nights in the shop. It was a stroke of luck he left 20 minutes before the accident. Otherwise it could have been a very different story.

"I am going to be keeping an eye on my dad because he is very shaken up. He has been having headaches this morning. We definitely won't be letting him stay on his own again, not after what happened."

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said officers were investigating the incident. No arrests have been made.