A man who drove a van through railings and landed upside down on an underpass has been given a community order.

Kevin Fry, 31, of Beedell Avenue, Westcliff, appeared before magistrates in Southend on Thursday, January 3, where he admitted driving while disqualified, aggravated vehicle taking and driving without insurance following the incident in Southend.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 160 hours unpaid work and his licence was endorsed with six penalty points.

The Iveco van Fry was driving crashed through railings on Southchurch Road shortly after 2.30am on Tuesday, October 9, and dropped 20m on to the Queensway underpass. He then left the scene and was arrested on November 6.

Sgt Mark Ammon of Laindon road policing unit said: "This man’s actions posed a genuine threat to the safety of all innocent road users and its is more by luck than judgement that his actions haven’t resulted in a death or serious injury to someone.

"We are grateful to the witnesses that provide the essential information to allow this man to be convicted.”