Three men arrested after car ‘screeches’ into crowded Christmas market in Cheshire
Market was packed with hundreds of people when the incident happened
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Three men have been arrested after a car drove into a crowded Christmas market in Cheshire.
The silver Volkswagen Golf drove into the crowd at 50mph in the town of Congleton.
No one was hurt in the incident this afternoon (26 November) and the incident does not appear to be terror-related, police said.
A spokesman for Congleton Police said: “Three people have been arrested following an incident in Congleton town centre this afternoon.
“It occurred shortly after 4pm and involved a solver Volkswagen Golf which turned down the pedestrianised area of Bridge Street where the market was taking place, causing alarm to shoppers and residents.
“Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
“The car was found abandoned a short time later. Three men have been arrested and are in custody.
“Officers remain at the scene, providing a highly visible presence to reassure people.”
There were hundreds of people in the market when the car came “screeching” down the street, according to witness Steve Brown – who runs a nearby antique and retro clothing shop.
He told Cheshire Live: “It was absolutely horrendous. A car has come screeching down the High Street – which is full of stalls and people.
“There are hundreds of people here – people with kids and dogs and lots of traders.
“He must have been doing at least 50mph. People were jumping out of the way. I saw one elderly lady who had to jump out of the way - she’s very shook up. We all are.
“We don’t really know what's happening yet, but the police are here now.”
Mandy Neville, a witness working in a nearby Greggs bakery, said she saw the car come “flying past the window” and that the vehicle “broke the sign that we have outside.”
She added: “There was a woman and a kid. They were a bit shaken up.
“The woman said that she’d hurt her leg. She didn’t know if something had hit her on the leg as the car came crashing through, but no one was actually injured properly.
“We brought the lad in here and gave him a drink. He was quite shook up.
“The ambulance people came and were checking him over.”