Star escapes unhurt

Rowan Atkinson has escaped unhurt after a car crash at a race meeting.

The car-mad comic was driving an Aston Martin V8 Zagato when it left the track and hit a barrier during an enthusiasts' meeting.

A spokeswoman for his agent told the BBC: "He races quite a lot and he is absolutely fine," she said.

Steve Cooper, financial director of the Croft racing circuit in Co Durham where Sunday's crash happened, added: "He was shaken up but was not injured.

"I believe his brakes had failed or did not work and he went off the track and hit a barrier."

Published: 10 Jul 2001