An elderly motorist has been spared jail after admitting causing death by dangerous driving after his car crashed into a coffee shop on Christmas Eve, killing a customer.

David Lord, 87, wrongly pressed the accelerator on his Audi A4 and careered into a Costa Coffee shop where Valerie Deakin, 74, had gone to enjoy a drink with her eldest daughter and best friend.

Mother-of-two Mrs Deakin, who lived in the village of Udimore, near Rye, East Sussex, died at the scene in High Street, Westerham, Kent, following the crash at around 10.30am on December 24 2015.

Two men and two women who were injured in the crash were taken to hospitals in London and Farnborough. Another woman was taken to Pembury Hospital with minor injuries.

The moments just before the crash are shown in the video below - some people may find the footage upsetting:

Lord, of Croydon Road, Westerham, previously pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, but changed his plea last November.

At Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, Lord was sentenced to 22 months in jail, suspended for two years, a Kent Police spokesman said.

He was ordered to pay costs of £1,500, disqualified from driving for five years and will have to take an extended test if he wants to drive again, police added.

In a statement issued through Kent Police following the case, the family of Mrs Deakin said her death was "entirely avoidable".

They said: "That morning, we were looking forward to spending a joyful Christmas together. By early afternoon we were a family in shock, utterly devastated.

"We have lost the kindest, most compassionate friend and mother, who we love beyond measure. Her death has left a huge void, and we are still trying to come to terms with this."

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Sergeant Glyn Walker, of Kent Police, said following the case: "David Lord's car was rigorously checked by experts for any defects, but there were none.

"We believe he simply lost control of the vehicle by wrongly pressing the accelerator, causing it to leave the road at speed and with tragic consequences."