NEIGHBOURS rushed to the aid of a pensioner who suffered an apparent heart attack and crashed into several parked cars in Congresbury.

People living along Kent Road gave the man medical treatment until emergency crews arrived but were unable to save him and he died at the scene.

The accident happened at around 10.25am on Sunday when a man in his 70s lost control of his Honda car shortly after pulling out of his driveway.

The vehicle hit two parked cars, a Volkswagen Golf and a Peugeot 206, and the walls of two nearby properties before coming to a halt.

The man, who has not been officially named by police, is believed to have suffered a heart attack, causing his foot to become lodged on the accelerator.

His wife was also in the car and is understood to have battled to steer it away from danger while trying to pull his foot off the pedal.

The car first hit a garden wall then crashed into the Golf, pushing it into another wall, before colliding with the Peugeot and coming to rest in the road, about 50 yards from the driver's home.

The man's wife was not injured in the accident.

Lisa Clarke, who lives in one of the houses which had its garden wall damaged, was first on the scene.

Mrs Clarke, a mother-of-three, said: "All I could see was his wife appear out of billowing smoke. It was horrific."

Quick-thinking Mrs Clarke immediately phoned nurse Becca Pope who lives around the corner and was at the scene within minutes.

She then called friend and GP Mike Taylor who gave her advice on how to administer CPR.

Mrs Clarke then organised other neighbours and passers by to move the Golf, which had ended up in the road next to the Honda, to get the man out.

They tried to lift the car before finding the keys to move it and freed the man, putting him on a rug in the road where Mrs Pope gave him CPR until ambulance crews arrived.

Mrs Clarke said: "First of all I heard the revving of the accelerator and then a bang.

"There is not normally so many cars parked along this part of Kent Road and the Golf was a hire car for my husband.

"All the neighbours went to help when they saw what had happened. We're a close-knit community in Kent Road and just all rallied round."

The road was closed for several hours while police examined the scene and re-opened again at 2pm.

Police are appealing for witnesses to contact them on the force's non emergency number, 101.