A CAR enthusiast was left devastated after his pride and joy vehicle was badly damaged after being struck in his driveway.

The Mitsubishi Colt Turbo was parked alongside another car - which was also damaged - in Chancellor Road, Southend, when it was hit by another car in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Echo:

The owner, a 48-year-old lorry driver, told the Echo: “It was about 2.33am on the Tuesday, I was awake and was just about to go to bed.

“I heard a big crash and the whole house rumbled I went outside and just saw them driving away and my cars were mangled.

“I called 999 straight away.

“My neighbour came out as she said she hurt the bang as well.

“It’s my pride and joy and is my hobby.” The owner regularly travels to Japan to show the Colt Turbo as it is a rare car; there are only about 400 in the UK.

He added: “I keep it in mint condition. The red car will cost about a few hundred pound to fix and so I will just scrap it. My show car will cost about £1,000 to fix.”

“I didn’t go to work on the Tuesday because of what happened.”

The victim believes his wife’s car, pictured in red, took the initial shunt, with being forced into the darker-coloured Colt.

He added: “I am feeling angry about what has happened.

“I’ve not got my car and feel like my life’s been taken away.

“My wife and I work very hard for what we have and someone just comes along and does this.

“When I get the car back from being fixed I will be parking it else where.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “We were called at around 2.40am on Tuesday, with reports of a collision involving a vehicle and two stationary cars in Chancellor Road, Southend.

“We arrested a man at around 3.10am that morning in Seaway car park.”

Terence Young, 34, of no fixed address, is due to appear at Southend Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, October 23.

He is charged with drink driving and driving without a licence.