A RELIEVED resident has said “it could have been much worse” after a car crashed into a lamppost which then smashed into his shop’s window.

Allan Buchan, 72, is the boss of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors, in Victoria Place, Brightlingsea.

The business has served the community for nearly 40 years but the shop front has been victim to a number of crashes.

On Sunday night, a grey BMW ploughed into a pelican crossing lamppost outside Mr Buchan’s business which resulted in the shopfront being damaged.

The car itself was left abandoned with its airbags deployed.

The front of the car had been destroyed and debris was left sprawled across the road and pavement.

Mr Buchan was at home watching television at the time of the incident but after being alerted by someone who works for him, he rushed to the scene.

“When I arrived, the police were already there because someone else must had called them,” he said.

“The car was in a terrible state and the front end had come right off.

“It was a real mess and whoever was responsible must have fled the scene.

“I don’t believe anyone was badly hurt and I hope no-one was, but apparently there was blood spotted on the windscreen.

“I am just relieved the car didn’t go through the window and into the shop because it could have been much worse.”

The next morning, the car and the mess were cleared up, and the broken lamppost was made safe by council workers.

Mr Buchan has already arranged for the window to be repaired and he said incidents of a similar nature had become a regular occurrence.

In the past ten years, he said he has had to replace five windows which have been smashed as a result of various incidents forking out a total of £4,000 in repairs.

“Being on the corner of the main road, we always the first to get any problems like this,” he said.

“It is just something that happens on regular occasions.

“Once someone punched through the window and another time a ball was kicked through it.

“No-one has it in for us or anything, we have just been quite unlucky in that regard. It is just accidental most of the time.”

Essex Police has since said the collision is being linked to reports of a car which was taken without the owner's consent.