A FORMER Ipswich pub landlord watched helplessly as an articulated lorry careered into his old place of work, smashing a wall and crumbling bricks from the building.

By Lisa Baxter

A FORMER Ipswich pub landlord watched helplessly as an articulated lorry careered into his old place of work, smashing a wall and crumbling bricks from the building.

Vic Goodchild, former publican at the Rose and Crown on Norwich Road, said he looked on in amazement from his Bramford Road home as the vehicle ploughed into the side of the pub.

"I was looking out the window like I do every morning and I heard a crash and thought 'the wall's gone'," he said. "They've narrowed the road and a massive thing has tried to get around.

"The poor man in the car behind was so frightened. I ran out to see the guy," he said.

Mr Goodchild, 61, said yesterday's smash – which happened at around 8.35am – was the fifth time in the past seven years that a vehicle had hit the side of the pub.

"Nobody was hurt," he added. "It was just a whole pile of rubble all over the road. Someone put a cone out there but they haven't cleared it up."

Mr Goodchild said the accident came just weeks after that section of road had been narrowed.

"About a month ago they finished it. It's going to be a huge problem now," he said.

Julie Kynaston, the pub's landlady, said she had been on the top floor when the crash happened and only realised the lorry had struck the low level wall encircling the pub and the side of the building when Mr Goodchild called to tell her what he had seen.

"I think the road narrowing was a bit silly," said the 36-year-old who said it was business at normal at the drinking spot.

Police had no record of the incident and there are no details available about the lorry.