Fourteen people have been injured, three seriously, after a car ploughed into market stalls in Bridgnorth this afternoon.

Shoppers watched in horror as the silver Mitsubishi car appeared to lose control and ended up under the town hall in High Street where the stalls were set up.

Bridgnorth market crash pictures

Bridgnorth market crash witnesses on video

One woman was trapped underneath the car and was freed by shocked onlookers during the drama at noon, which police described as a “scene of complete bedlam”.

Eyewitnesses said the driver may have been taken ill moments before the collision.

Derek Onions, owner of Bromleys florist, said: “There are more fire engines and ambulances here than I thought existed in Shropshire.

“Apparently the car had reversed out of a parking space and gone back a fair way, before zooming forward full pelt straight into the town hall and the market.

“The people I have spoken to are suggesting the driver may have had a heart attack.”

Sergeant Pat Shakespeare, of West Mercia Police, said: “There is one vehicle involved that we believe was parked in the High Street outside the NatWest bank. He reversed out and then, for whatever reason, drove at some speed and ploughed through a number of people and through the stalls. The driver, a man, is in shock and some of the casualties are elderly.

“There are some leg injuries and at one stage there was at least one person trapped under the front of the vehicle who was freed by members of the public before emergency services arrived on the scene.

“It was a scene of complete bedlam and it took a good while to get the rescue operation organised.”

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman Claire Thomas confirmed there were 14 casualties, three serious and 11 “walking wounded” with fractures and minor injuries.

She said they had been taken by ambulance to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Steve Worrall, from Shrewsbury, said four fire crews went to the scene from Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock, Tweedale and Wellington.

He said: “We have multiple walking wounded casualties who have been treated by both paramedics and the fire service.”

Town clerk Mrs Anne Wilson said: “We were told by a local resident there had been a terrible accident by the market stalls. It is such a terrible thing to happen.”

Emergency services quickly cordoned off the area 50 yards either side of the town hall as people gathered to watch the rescue operation.

Julia Rose, manager of Stead and Simpson, said: “The atmosphere in Bridgnorth is very solemn today. We are very distressed about it all.

“We have known these people in the stalls for many years and we are very concerned for them.”

Nigel Hoar, from Mental Solutions, said: “Everyone is a bit shocked. It’s quite unusual to get a car under there, it would be quite difficult to do.

“There was a lady trapped under the car for more than an hour and police were moving people back.”