The wedding crashers: Groom injured and mother has heart attack as limo hits wall just yards from church

The driver of the white limousine, carrying the bridegroom Brian Ashton, his mother and the best man, lost control of the car just yards from the church after the brakes failed and ploughed into a van and a brick wall.

The crash caused the groom's mother to have a heart attack and left Mr Ashton, 47, in agony with back and leg injuries.

The white limousine carrying Maureen Ashton and her son Brian to his wedding

Moments later bride Sarah Ward, 27, arrived on the scene and was stunned by the sight that greeted her.

The limo was crunched against a wall and despite seeing his mother Maureen, 78, stretchered to hospital by paramedics, Brian and wife-to-be Sarah decided to press on with the service so as not to disappoint guests.

Now the unlucky couple still don't know if they'll go ahead with their honeymoon in Spain.

Prang: The wedding car demolished a wall after the brakes failed

Witnesses told how they saw the car pick up speed as they travelled down a steep hill to the church before the driver veered into a side road, crashing into a council work van and then into a wall near Middleton Methodist Church, in Middleton, Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Sarah said: 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Everyone was there for the wedding, so we couldn't cancel it, but we were worried about my mother-in-law and Brian stood through the service in pain.

'His brothers left straight after to go to the hospital and had to miss the reception.  It wasn't the same without her there.'

Brian Ashton and Sarah Ward with their four-year-old son Jake. The couple decided to go ahead with the wedding so they would not disappoint guests

Mrs Ashton was taken by ambulance to North Manchester General Hospital, where she was recovering over the weekend.

The newlyweds, who have a four-year-old son, Jack, were due to leave for their honeymoon, but may cancel the trip to help care for Mrs Ashton if her condition does not improve.

Wedding photographer Ian Howarth saw the accident from outside the church.

He said: 'We heard this almighty skid, a crash, then another crash. It looked like the brakes had failed.

'The driver said he was pumping them, but nothing happened. The car was picking up speed as it was going down the road, so it was going fairly fast by the time it hit.

'I thought they would call the wedding off, but with all the time and money invested in it, they decided to go ahead.

Sarah added: 'I had something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue - but it obviously didn't work. The crash spoiled the day and my husband's still in a lot of pain.

'He can't bend down because of injuries to his back and left leg, and his arm is black with bruises. It could've been worse as my mother, son and bridesmaids were due to be picked up in the same car, so I suppose we're lucky in that way.'

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed: 'Officers were called to Long Street following reports of a collision between a wedding car and a van. A 78-year-old woman was taken to hospital after suffering chest pains.'

The groom's mother Maureen Ashton in hospital after she suffered a heart attack when the car carrying her crashed yards from the church