Hundreds of sunseekers stood open-mouthed at this open-top £120,000 Ferrari 360 which had ploughed into a security gate - initially designed to keep cruisers and boy racers away from Southend's seafront.

But pity the 28-year-old owner who was doing barely 30 miles per hour according to onlookers when his red sports car was involved in a collision with an aging Ford van owned by the Pier and Foreshore department of Southend Council on Saturday morning.

Left in a state of unbelieving shock, the owner - who would only give his name as Mr Hill - said he had only had the car a year and was looking forward to driving around the town this summer in the open-topped motor.

Sporting bandaged arms from the airbag explosion he was quick to point out he was no boy racer or lucky offspring of wealthy parents.

Mr Hill said: "It's not my dad's. It's mine. I paid for it all myself. I run an internet firm and own 50 houses.

"I started off collecting glasses in the Kursaal, saved my money and worked hard until I could buy my first house. Now my firm has a turnover of around eight million.

"This time last year I was driving a D-reg Fiesta so I thought I would splash out on myself.

"They say it'll be taken away for three months - that's the whole of the summer. I hope they just write it off, because then I can get a Lamborghini."

Stuart Smith, 17 from Rayleigh, was working in the Three Shells Cafe on Western Esplanade when the accident happened.

He said: "The white van came out from the foreshore building and the Ferrari was driving along the road at the normal speed. They collided and the Ferrari then hit the gate.

"You see a few accidents along here - there was a nasty motorbike crash last year just in front of the cafe."