Police are trying to trace a driver who fled after a car ploughed into a row of garages.

The car knocked down a concrete post by one of the garages, causing part of the roof to collapse.

It also caused damage to the council-owned garages either side, which are in a row of eight, in Calamint Road, Witham.

The owner of the garage that was hit by the red Vauxhall Chevette was in bed at the time of the incident, which happened just before noon yesterday (Tuesday).

The 59-year-old, who has rented the garage from Braintree Council for the past four-and-a-half years, said: "I just got up, came down, looked out of the window and thought 'it looks like my garage'.

"It's very lucky because normally I park my car in front of it, but it's in another garage I have further down."

Ian Perry, Witham area manager for Braintree Council, said: "We will get a council contractor appointed to remove the danger. I think we are going to have to knock them down."

A police spokesman said: "The driver ran off from the scene before police could speak to him and ascertain his injuries. Police are still trying to trace the driver."

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