Police are still hunting for the driver responsible for ploughing into a restaurant and causing serious damage – as it was confirmed it would be closed for at least a month.

The motorist lost control and smashed into the front of Douro Valley, in Furtherwick Road, Canvey, at about1.30am on Sunday.

However, the driver did not stop afterwards and there are suspicions the motorist was driving under the influence of drink or drugs at the time.

The crash damaged railings alongside the road which were ripped up and flung into the shop’s front. The front windows, wall and foyer of the restaurant were also badly damaged.

Liliana Amaral, 26, who runs the restaurant with her parents, said the restaurant would be closed for at least a month. The family also feared the repair costs would be excessive.

Ms Amaral said: “The insurance company will come and assess the contents of the restaurant and evaluate the cost of the damage.

“We are not certain of the cost of the damage. At the moment there are no updates from the police.

“We’re just thankful that nobody got hurt and it could’ve been much worse, really. I am still very shaken by the incident bearing in mind we live upstairs from our restaurant. I heard a huge bang at around 1.30am. I’m not sure if this has happened to other restaurants in the area. We are still cleaning up the mess and we’re unable to confirm when we’ll be open again.”

Canvey Island Independent councillor Barry Palmer, representing Canvey Island South, said if nearby shops have CCTV they should assist the restaurant.

He said: “I saw the remains of the damage earlier this week. Luckily these things don’t happen often but they’re not unheard of. Luckily it hasn’t happened to other restaurants on this strip of road before. It must have been very terrifying for the owners. And it is very unfortunate this incident happened, and the poor owners lose at least one month of income because of the damage.

“If the crash happened during the day, it could have been a lot worse because there’s a lot of foot traffic on Furtherwick Road. I hope police will soon find out who was responsible and what caused the crash.”