A GIFT shop has finally reopened - almost four months after it was wrecked in an accident that left the building in danger of collapsing.

Paws in the Forest in Lyndhurst High Street was forced to close just before Christmas after a car smashed through the front of the store, causing serious structural damage and destroying a huge amount of stock.

The shop is run by John and Maggie Parma, who managed to keep their sense of humour despite seeing the business boarded up.

In a notice aimed at keeping their customers updated, they nicknamed the badly-damaged premises Paws in the Rubble.

But the accident was a devastating blow to the couple, who had spent 10 years building up the business.

As reported in the Daily Echo, 17 firefighters and a structural engineer rushed to the scene after a blue Vauxhall Astra ploughed into the shop, which sells teddy bears and other items. Some of the bears were damaged by flying glass or left covered in oil.

Daily Echo:

Maggie learned of the accident in a 10pm phone call from her friend's daughter, who was in a nearby pub when it happened.

She said: “My husband and I went down there and were shocked beyond belief.

“Three-quarters of the car was embedded in the shop. It had smashed everything in its path as well as taking out the steel pillar that kept the building up.”

The dramatic incident could hardly have come at a worse time.

Maggie said: “We'd done a beautiful Christmas window and were all geared up for the festive season - but all that was obliterated. The car caused a huge amount of damage, structural as well as cosmetic.”

Instead of welcoming a constant stream of customers she and her husband could only stand and watch as workmen made the building safe.

Daily Echo:

“They had to use 12 supports to keep it steady - and what followed was a major reconstruction job,” she said.

“It made the High Street look very ugly but we've now got a brand new shopfront. Our customers are delighted to have us back and we've been nice and busy since we reopened.”

The female motorist was unhurt - something Maggie describes as “the one positive”.