Residents said the noise of a car crashing in Wickford sounded like a "bomb blast".

Several properties in Wickford were evacuated as a precaution last night after a road traffic collision caused a gas leak.

A silver car crashed into Nevendon Cafe and Fags and Mags, on Nevendon Road, at roughly 8.15pm.

Nazir Izad, 53, was inside Fags and Mags at the time of the incident.

He said: “It was like a bomb blast, I have not heard anything like it before.

“I had finished work a couple of hours earlier, and was having a shower and a rest out the back.

“My boss was still working, and I just heard him shouting 'Nazir, Nazir, get the keys. Get us out of here'.

"The whole shop was smoke logged. I could not see a thing.

"I suffer with my blood pressure and I was shaking. I had to go and sit down.

"One of the firefighters went in the back of the shop and got my tablets for me."