A DRIVER destroyed three garden walls before flipping his car onto its roof.

The 26-year-old man lost control of his car in Tonge Moor Road but managed to walk away from the crash with minor scratches to his legs.

The incident happened at 3.45pm as the young man was driving his blue Volkswagen Golf along Tonge Moor Road, near the Starkie Arms pub.

It is thought that the car hit a kerb before ploughing into the garden walls and landing on its roof.

It also took out a lampost as it crashed.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the scene but the man had managed to remove himself from the vehicle.

Neil Mercer, watch manager at Bolton North Fire Station, said: β€œHe is very lucky to have escaped without any serious injuries and it is very important that he was wearing his seat belt and that the airbag deployed correctly.”

Andrew Reid, aged 40, lives in one of the houses that had its front wall destroyed.

He said: "I was upstairs and I just heard my partner scream for me to come downstairs.

"I ran outside and saw the car on its roof and the wall smashed up, I'm a student nurse so my first thought was for the driver and I called the emergency services.

"Then I saw a man wandering around with blood coming from his knee, I realised it was the driver and invited him in so I could check him over while we waited for the ambulance.

"The whole house shook when it happened, its not what you expect on a Sunday afternoon."

Stephen Jones, aged 52, lives next door to Mr Reid where the front garden wall was also destroyed.

He said: "Well I'm pretty annoyed, the house is actually up for sale and I don't think this is going to help, I've no idea how it happened, this is a pretty straight bit of road."