Beyonce Knowles narrowly escaped serious injury after her car door was ripped off by a taxi in London.

The 'Halo' singer opened the door of her Mercedes after deciding to pop into top store Harrods en route to a restaurant in the UK capital's

Knightsbridge area.

Shoppers looked on in horror as the taxi collided with the car's door, ripping it off its hinges and missing Beyonce by just a matter of centimeters.

The pop star - who was travelling with her hip-hop guru husband Jay-Z - looked visibly shaken after the incident.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "It was terrifying to watch. It all happened so quickly, the taxi came out of nowhere.

"She seemed very shaken and was lucky to be alive. A couple of seconds difference and God knows what could have happened."

Beyonce, 28, and Jay-Z, 40, were on their way to a romantic meal at Japanese eatery Zuma when the singer decided to make her impromptu stop.

After the accident, the couple were forced to dump the damaged car - and were sent a replacement to take them to the restaurant.

She was later seen looking happy and relaxed after leaving Zuma with Jay-Z.