Three people were arrested and a scene of destruction was left in a Dereham road early yesterday morning after a car crashed into two gardens, street signs and part of a pedestrian crossing.

Three people were arrested and a scene of destruction was left in a Dereham road on Thursday morning after a car crashed into two gardens, street signs and part of a pedestrian crossing.

Residents of homes in Shipdham Road, just past the slip road to Dereham, were woken just before midnight to a series of bangs, which turned out to be a silver car with four occupants.

It had smashed through a brick wall and a wooden fence on two separate properties, as well as damaging a street sign and part of a pedestrian crossing post.

Janet Dodd, resident of one of the properties said: 'The car was completely a write-off. How they got out alive I don't know.

'It must have spun around two or three times in the street. The damage is horrendous.

'There was a car parked opposite and I don't know how they missed it.'

Police, firefighters and ambulance crews were called to the scene at about 11.45pm.

Four walking wounded were reported, with minor cuts and scratches, and the road, which was covered in debris, was blocked.

It is believed that one person fled the scene but two men, aged 19 and 24, and a woman, aged 22, all from the Dereham area, were arrested on suspicion of driving with access alcohol and taken to Thetford police station.

They were later released and no further action taken, a police spokeswoman said last night.

The road was finally cleared and reopened at 2.10am.