A CAR has thumped into the side of the Hope Church in Winchester city centre.

It happened at around 3pm this afternoon at the building in Friarsgate.

The church was holding a conference and many people were evacuated but no-one is thought to have been hurt in the incident.

It could have been much more serious as the red Toyota mounted the pavement before striking railings and then the building close to an office.

(Image: Chris Atkinson) A man working nearby said the driver was an elderly woman.

The cause of the crash was unclear although it happened when the vehicle struck the church opposite the exit to the Brooks Centre underground car park.

The police, fire service and ambulance was all called and their vehicles partially blocked Friarsgate, part of the one-way system, causing tailbacks to Eastgate Street and Union Street and onto North Walls and Bridge Street.

A police spokesperson said they were called at 3.05pm to reports of a car colliding with Hope Church in Friarsgate.

They said that the church had to be evacuated while a structural engineer was assessing the situation.

No injuries were reported.

The structural engineers at the scene declined to comment to the Chronicle. No-one was available at the church.

The crash happened very close to the construction of the new GP surgery on the corner of Friarsgate and Upper Brook Street.

One of the builders, who declined to to give his name, said: "We were down the side when it happened, so we didn't see anything. It was just an old dear who left the car park too quickly".