A SANDWICH shop was destroyed after a car ploughed into its front window during a midnight hit and run crash.

Ellie M’s, in King Street, Stanford-le-Hope, has only been open for nine days but will now be closed until Tuesday next week, at least.

Glass and rubble was left covering the street outside after the a car crashed into the shop in the early hours of yesterday morning, with the shop ceiling collapsing.

Jade Payne, 31, of Stanford-le-Hope runs the business with her partner Steve Milner, 36, have both been left devastated and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Jade said: “We’ve only been open a week and two days. We had a call at about 12.30am and we just ignored it as it was so late.

“Then someone who lives above our shop sent a video and Steve rushed down to the shop quickly.

“There was glass everywhere and it was ridiculous. My first thought was anger and then when we got there it we just felt heartbroken.

“We feel devastated as we’ve put everything into this to get the business up and running.

“The ceiling in the shop has fallen down and I believe they reversed into the shop a few times.”

She believes the driver then dumped the van they used and got into another car to flee te area. She described the scene as like a bomb had hit her shop.

The front has now been boarded up and only half of the electric is working in the business.

The businesses boss was horrified to see dust and glass everywhere and pieces of metal hanging from the ceiling and walls.

Jade added: “I’ve had to thrown away almost all of my stock and it was chaos most of yesterday.

“The support from the community and friends has been amazing and really helped to get us through this.

“We don’t know how much the damage costs but we think it’s thousands.”

She said they are hoping to rebuild the business and hopes to be again by next Tuesday.

She said they have put too much into the business to throw the towel in now.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were called shortly before 12.10am yesterday to reports a vehicle had been in a crash with the front of a shop in King Street, Stanford-le-Hope.

“The vehicle did not remain at the scene. Our enquiries are ongoing.

“If you saw what happened or have CCTV or dash cam footage, please contact us. If you have any information you can submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk or use the ‘Live Chat’ button to speak to an online operator between 7am-11pm.

“Please quote incident 5 of 29 April. You can also call us on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”