A BUILDING which collapsed on top of two cars has been largely demolished.

The first floor of the former Marbles and Manufacturing Supplies, on the corner of Hampden Road and Hathaway Road, Grays, almost completely fell away at about 4.30pm on May 30.

Bricks rained down on to a parked black Alfa Romeo and blue MG Ze.

Even the ground floor of the building has been stripped back to its metal frame, with only the rear of the property still standing.

It was bought from the council by a local businessman in December with pre-approved planning permission for two, one-bedroom flats.

A council spokesman said its building control team had visited the site to ensure it was safe and secure, but was unable to provide any details about the suspected cause of the collapse.

A spokesman for Essex Fire and Rescue said responsibility rested with the council to determine why the building fell down.