A Wiltshire restaurant has fully reopened for the first time in six months after a car ploughed into its front window.

At around 10pm on Tuesday, January 17, the Davana Thai on Stallard Street in Trowbridge was the victim of a dramatic crash that saw a red Citroen C3 destroy its front and side windows.

While the building itself was not seriously damaged, the incident forced the business to close their restaurant while repairs were carried out, with two large windows destroyed at the front and side.

The Thai restaurant, which was boarded up in the aftermath of the incident, was able to continue operating as a takeaway but was severely impacted by the closure of the restaurant.

Manager and head chef, Gilbert Posa, said: “The business has been struggling since the accident happened.

Wiltshire Times: The crash at the Davana Thai

“We opened after a month doing just takeaway, but it was a really difficult time because when people saw the damage they thought we weren’t open.

“It was such a hard time for us afterwards because the business and the sales went down.”

But now the staff at Davana Thai have officially fully reopened the restaurant after relaunching the revamped venue on Wednesday, July 12.

Mr Posa told this paper they were happy to be back and had already received a positive response from customers.

He added: “It was really great to finally reopen and we got loads of people come in and dine with us.

Wiltshire Times: The crash at the Davana Thai

“After what happened it was a relief, people can see that we’re open again and lots of people have come in to make enquiries for both dining in and takeaway.

“We’re very proud.”

Mr Posa, who has run the restaurant since 2020, added that the Davana Thai will now be offering new menus to mark the reopening.

This will include new items such as pineapple crispy chicken, and a new lunch deal with noodle and rice toppings.

The restaurant will be open from noon and will offer dining for both lunch and dinner.

Wiltshire Times: The newly reopened Davana Thai

At the time of the crash, police confirmed attending officers had arrested a man in his 20s following extensive searches of the area.

The suspect, a Bradford on Avon resident, was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive through drink or drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.

Fire crews were also in attendance, with a spokesperson confirming firefighters had made the scene safe.