A CAFE owner has spoken of the terrifying moment when a lorry shed its load, sending it careening towards his shop.

Ahmed Matter, of Chingford, who owns Dooa Café in Hainault Road, Leyton, was at work as usual on June 12 when the lorry hit a railway bridge near Leyton Midland Road station.

The impact sent its load, a digger and a dumper truck, skidding off the back of the lorry, narrowly missing the front of the café.

Mr Matter said: “I heard a massive banging noise and I knew something had hit the bridge.

“I went outside to have a look and all I could see was the lorry coming towards me.”

The accident happened as the lorry driver attempted to reverse into a nearby building site at about 10.20am.

“It was a very, very frightening experience, seeing that lorry coming towards me,” Mr Matter said.

“I didn't know what was going to happen – it was just skidding all over the place.”

No one was injured and no damage was done to the café, but Mr Matter had to close the shop for the rest of the day.

He said: “It really caused me a lot of grief. It was nothing to do with me but I had to close my business.

“I had to throw everything away. Nobody really bothered to see if I was OK – they were just concerned about the bridge.”

Eyewitness Simon Capon, 44, who works at Aaron Tyres in Midland Road, said: “The lorry nearly lifted the bridge off the ground.

“If I was a bit older, I think I would have had a heart attack.”

Services were suspended on the Gospel Oak to Barking line while an engineer determined whether it was safe to use the bridge.

Normal service resumed later the same day.