A LATE night hit-and-run on a “quiet Leigh street” has left a resident furious after his car was severely damaged and written-off by a “reckless driver who fled the scene”.

Leon Pezzuolo, 41, was woken by a huge bang in the early hours of the morning after a car - which he believes was a Mercedes - smashed into the back of his parked Ford Focus.

Debris and broken car parks were left scattered across the road and Mr Pezzuolo believes that the other car must have been severely damaged before fleeing the scene.

The Bellhouse Crescent resident’s car is now set to be scrapped and he is appealing for any witnesses or anyone with CCTV footage which could show the crash, or a damaged car fleeing the scene shortly after midnight on Saturday, to contact the police urgently.

Mr Pezzuolo said: “My car was shunted a car and a half-length down the road by the other driver.

“It is likely the car will be written off and my main concern is there are people on the road who are doing this and there could have been people crossing the road, you just don’t know.

“The decent thing would be to have stopped, I have knocked and left a note before, it is about taking accountability and it is frustrating when I know I would have done the decent thing.

“That is the frustration, if they had waited and were apologetic and they somehow didn’t see the car, I would be able to understand.”

Mr Pezzuolo added that the road is commonly used as a cut through by Leigh residents.

“I have lived here for 14 years, and I don’t have a driveway, my car has to be left on the kerb really,” he added.

“Nothing like this has happened here though, the incident is so annoying and frustrating, and I have been left without a car, I have to pay the excess and then there is the increased cost of owning and operating a car anyway.

“It is a struggle given the cost-of-living crisis.”

The resident has reported the incident to Essex Police and is urging anyone with information to contact them on 101.

Essex Police has been contacted for comment.