A CAR has smashed into a Hampshire city building - the third similar incident in one day in the county.

The latest incident happened at about 3.10pm yesterday when a Ford Fiesta leaving a car park careered into a Winchester gym.

Emergency services were called and police, firefighters and ambulance workers are at the scene at New Energy Fitness in Middle Brook Street.

A female driver escaped without injuries and there was nobody inside the gym on the machines closest to where the car went through the glass.

Earlier in the week a couple said they were "lucky to be alive" after a van ploughed into their Hedge End home.

And yesterday a car smashed into an office building on Southgate Street in Winchester.

A police officer at the scene said: "No-one was hurt and there was no-one inside the gym.

"It seems to have been driver error.

"She was leaving the car park and hit the accelerator rather than the brake and has gone into the building.

"Miraculously no-one has been hurt."

Witnesses spoke to the Daily Echo about the crash.

Mark Christian, a painter decorator, was working in Middle Brook Street about 30 yards from the crash scene.

He said: “I was up the ladder at the time. I heard a loud rev and then I saw the car go straight through the car park barrier.

"It sounded like someone had got their foot stuck on the pedal and it went straight through the glass.

“We rushed straight over to see if the driver was alright, she was an elderly lady and seemed to be okay.

“There was no one in that part of the gym at the time.”

Billy Tees, 76, of Worthy Lane, was also working on the same house. He said: “I didn’t see it happen but I was the first over there and opened the door and she was smiling I think the air bag saved her.”

Manager of the new Energy gym Helen Moseley said: “This is the second time in four months that cars passing through these barriers have hit the building.

“I do not want a third one.

“What’s happened is that somebody looking to leave the carpark had taken the barrier out.

"They hadn’t waited for the barrier to lift and continued on, instead of exiting left.”

Ms Moseley said she would be taking up the issue with Winchester City Council.

The gym was almost empty at the time of the crash.

The elderly female driver of the car was being checked over by paramedics in a room at the gym.