A LAMPPOST demolished in a hit and run outside Mr Simm’s Olde Sweet Shoppe in Downing Street last December has finally been repaired.

The damage was caused when a teenage driver smashed into the lamppost at around 1.30am on Saturday, December 2, leaving behind a trail of debris including his blue Renault Clio’s license plate - allowing the police to track him down.

A pedestrian walking around 100 yards further up Downing Street reported hearing the smash, followed by the sight of two cars, including the damaged Renault, "swerving and speeding up the road".

The lamppost was decimated in the collision and smashed into the 18th century frontage of Mr Simm’s Olde Sweet Shoppe, splintering its wooden facade and badly damaging both the shop’s door and blind.

Surrey County Council subsequently taped off the lamppost but left it un-repaired until last week, just days after the matter was raised by town councillor David Beaman at a meeting of Surrey’s Waverley Local Committee.

Addressing Surrey’s cabinet member for highways Colin Kemp at the meeting, Mr Beaman, the Farnham Residents councillor for Farnham Castle, said: "I’m pleased to see you here in Farnham and just wanted to ask if you have the time while you’re here to visit the sweet shop on Downing Street to see the problems caused by the demolished lamppost causing a safety hazard?"

Mr Kemp replied that he would be happy to - but speaking again later in the meeting after receiving an update on his phone, added: "I’ve just been informed the street sign outside the sweet shop will be done next week."

This work was finally completely, as promised, last week, although the blind and wooden facade at the bottom of the shop front, which previously won a Farnham Society Architecture & Design Award in 2015, still remains unfixed.

Surrey Police has already spoken to the young driver about the collision, and confirmed this week its investigation into the crash is still ongoing.

Speaking to the Herald in the immediate aftermath of the incident, owner of the sweet shop Liz Fearnley said she hopes she will be able to claim against the driver’s insurance for the damage to her shop.

She added: "My first worry when I saw the police outside was that the glass had been broken and the door smashed in. I’m relieved that it wasn’t, but it’s not ideal on the first weekend of December. Plenty of people have popped in to wish me well, and one lady from the United Reformed Church even bought me flowers which was lovely."