Publicans Geoff and Paul Windle have had to close The Lysley Arms in Chippenham after a driver lost control of his car and ploughed through the entrance of the pub on Saturday night, just a day before they took over the lease.
It is thought the driver, who was travelling on the A4 towards Chippenham, lost control of his blue Vauxhall Astra and careered through the benches outside the pub and into the front porch, leaving black tyre marks through the beer garden.
Former manager Sarah Bradford-Scoble said there were more than 20 people inside and the whole building shook on impact.
She said: “We heard a very strange noise, which obviously was the car dragging the benches along, but we could not work out what it was.
“We saw lights coming towards us and there was an almighty thud.
“Fortunately there was nobody stood smoking at the door – if the weather had been better who knows what could have happened.”
The 22-year-old driver, from Calne, was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
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