FOUR passers-by had a narrow escape when tonnes of masonry were sent crashing down into a busy North Yorkshire street, after an empty cattle wagon clipped the corner of a furniture store.

PC Daniel Spence said it was lucky no one was hurt or even killed in the incident in Malton, which took place at about 1pm yesterday at Matthew Maw Furniture, at the junction of Carpenters Yard and Castlegate.

PC Spence said the blue ten-tonne N-registered Iveco truck pulled out of narrow Carpenters Yard into the main street, and its rear driver's side caught the side of the listed building.

This dislodged bricks and ultimately sent the corner of the shop, which is owned by the Fitzwilliam Estate, crashing down into the street.

"I've just had a look at the CCTV footage and there were four people at the scene who were inches away from being hit by falling rubble. They were lucky not to have been killed," said PC Spence.

Police cordoned off Carpenters Yard, which will remain closed for the foreseeable future, and local building contractors were called to assess the damage and put up scaffolding to prevent further collapse.

"It was a tremendous thud," said tailor John Piercey, who has run the shop next door for 23 years. "It filled the street with dust. He caught my shop first so I thought it was my wall.

"I was just working and I heard this tremendous sound, and when I came outside, the street was filled with dust and there were bricks all over the pavement. It's a wide wagon, but there's some that are a lot bigger than that use Carpenters Yard."

PC Spence said that a 61-year-old man from Lockton, near Pickering, who was driving the privately-owned cattle wagon was helping police with their inquiries.

He appealed for the four passers-by, who can be clearly seen on CCTV footage, to phone him on 01609 783131.

Updated: 10:49 Wednesday, June 09, 2004