A SOUTH Lakes pensioner's Sunday morning breakfast was dramatically interrupted when an old wall collapsed in a heap of rubble.

An outer skin of the limestone boundary wall fell on to the front of the vehicle in the yard of the Royal Hotel, Kirkby Lonsdale, at the weekend.

The incident was witnessed by Alfred and Constance Kaulbarsch, the residents of a nearby apartment which looks on to the yard.

"I'd just started my cornflakes when I heard this really loud noise in the yard outside," said Mrs Kaulbarsch. "I looked up to see the wall had collapsed in a cloud of dust. Some of the stones had fallen on to the front of the car. It was very dramatic."

"The car belongs to the couple who have the apartment next door," said Mrs Kaulbarsch. "They didn't seen what happened so I had to break the news to them. They just stood there in shock and disbelief. Fortunately, no one was close to the wall when it collapsed. There was just the damage to the front of the car."

Mrs Kaulbarsch said the car owners have their main home in Manchester and were visiting Kirkby Lonsdale over the weekend.

The wall's age is unclear but many nearby properties date from Georgian times. A close inspection of the structure's remains reveal that its two skins were not bonded together with 'through' stones, making it potentially unstable in certain conditions.

It is understood the wall is owned by the Royal House apartments.