EMERGENCY services are at the scene of a crash in Southend town centre in which a Mercedes has been badly damaged.

Fire crews are cleaning oil which had spilled out onto the ground in Weston Road following the collision, which took place at around 8.40pm Police are investigating the car – whose occupants have left the scene.

Echo:

Witnesses said that the Mercedes drove into the back of a van – which was not damaged and drove away.

A 33-year-old man who was in the beer garden of the nearby Hush bar said: “I was just outside having a fag with my friend when we heard a revving then a bang.

“We looked over the gate and saw the car had gone straight into the back of a van.

“The driver of the car said he had just pulled out of a bay but it didn’t sound like that, it sounded pretty fast.

“The guy in the van got back in and drove off. It wasn’t damaged because it had a tow bar at the back.

“Then we realised the driver and passenger of the car had gone.”