A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy caused a major incident in Cirencester town centre this afternoon by accidentally releasing the handbrake of his mother's car, which then smashed through the window of the Cheltenham and Gloucester building society.

The incident happened in the Market Place shortly after 3.30pm when the town was full of half-term shoppers.

No-one was hurt although the boy and his mother, who was in the bank at the time, were both said to be very shocked.

Eye-witnesses said the boy, dressed in a halloween outfit, was in the driver's seat at the time of the crash. His four-year-old sister was in the back seat of the car.

Police say the accident is thought to have occurred after the boy climbed over onto the front seat, knocking the handbrake off as he did so.