HORSES have crashed into the window of a designer clothes shop in Ascot, just a short walk away from the racecourse.

A section of the front window of Nataliya Couture on London Road was smashed after the incident on Thursday evening which is said to have involved four horses and a carriage.

Shards of glass and manure remained on the pavement within a police tape outside the shop which was not opened when the crash happened.

Blood also appeared to be visible on a section of the smashed front, while glass was lying around the mannequin displays and a shutter at the back of the space was buckled.

A policeman at the scene said he understood the incident involved four horses, while a taxi driver who saw it happen said one horse looked particularly injured.

Taxi driver Mohamad Amjad said it appeared that the carriage was coming down the road and potentially was panicked by a horn blowing.

He said it seemed to be the case that the front two horses "slid" into the shop front, adding that one horse appeared badly injured.

"People put towels on to try to control the blood," he said.

There were white marks on the road and pavement going towards the section of the front that got smashed.

It is not thought that anyone was injured in the incident which took place on Thursday evening at a time when racegoers were leaving Royal Ascot.

The shop sells formal wear, including fascinators, like the style showcased by women on Ladies' Day.