Hawick couple were just about to get out of their car when a chimney crashed on top of the vehicle

The terrifying incident took place when the vehicle was parked outside the former Burton’s menswear outlet, 63/74 High Street, at 4pm yesterday, Sunday, April 4.

Steven and Sharon Lothian were just about to vacate the vehicle when the masonry, believed to be a chimney, crashed onto the rear of the car.

Mr Lothian, 44, who works at Emtelle in Hawick, said: “It was surreal to say the least. We had just been away getting some shopping and got the car washed after the shopping.

"Two minutes later I pulled up outside my house and I’ve got a remote that opens the boot, so I was getting out of the car to open the boot and that’s when it happened.

"A couple of seconds later and we would have been in the boot and it would have killed us.

"I called the police and then insurance and I was told it was going to affect my no claims, the excess will have to be paid by me and then I’ll have to take the building owners on at the smalls claims court.”

A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “Building standards were informed and visited the site.

"Whilst there were no obvious signs of further loose masonry from ground level, the area immediately outside the property will remain cordoned off until the property’s owner has further investigations carried out.”