A BATCHLEY launderette was seriously damaged after a police car ploughed into the front of it.

The shop front of the Laundramat in Batchley Road was reduced to rubble after a police car collided with it at about 10.30pm on Thursday night.

A police spokesman said the car had been responding to a domestic-related incident when it hit the launderette.

Although the man driving was not injured, the female passenger was taken to hospital with suspected whiplash.

The spokesman added police had originally thought the only damage was to the shutters but discovered it was more serious than that.

A surveyor from the council was visiting the site on Friday.

Owner Jenny Griffiths said a resident had phoned her the night it happened and she had contacted the police.

"The sergeant who was down here at the time called me and said there was some damage to the shutters," she said.

"But as we pulled the shutters up on Friday some of the bricks fell out - it's damaged the whole of the shop front, it looks like it hit at quite a speed."

She said as the shop was council property it had organised repairs, including sorting out the electricity and water but until that was done she could not do business.

"Having been told it was just the shutters, it was quite a surprise when we pulled the shutters up.

"However, despite all of this we are still open for business," she added.