A van crashed into a hairdressers in a busy Clacton road, just days after it opened to the public.

The vehicle crashed into The Hairdresser, in Old Road, Clacton, this morning just after 9am.

Emergency services were rushed to the scene and the road was closed by Essex Police to allow emergency services to work at the scene safely.

Two fire crews from Clacton and Weeley arrived in Old Road at 9.33am.

The officer in charge immediately requested the support of Urban Search and Rescue to help stabilise the building and make the area safe.

Firefighters then worked with the ambulance service to free the man from the vehicle.

The air ambulance also landed nearby.

Neil Anthony is the owner of the business, which opened for the first time on Friday.

He said: “I was coming down to get a list from the shop before going to the town to get a few bits and pieces.

“I live in St Osyth Road and as I made my way down here I saw the fire engines and thought the Chinese was on fire.

“Then I realised it was my shop and the shop front was completely destroyed.

“I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

“If I had got out of the shower ten minutes earlier I might have been inside.”

Residents of the flats above the row of shops were evacuated whilst firefighters worked to make the area safe.

Mr Anthony was treated by paramedics after suffering from shock.

He said: “I was in a panic, they wanted to take me to hospital but I would not go.

“I am concerned about the condition of person driving.”

Work was only completed on the new salon in the past few days, and Mr Anthony said he was heartbroken by the incident.

“We had a team of builders down here recently doing the work and I wanted to bring the concept of London to Clacton,” he said.

“We have put so much heart and soul into the work.

“It is quite a wide shop and the van went in on the right hand side.

“There were a few expensive brand new chairs on that side I am assuming the van hit them.

“Hopefully there is not too much damage but the shop front has gone completely.”

Update 5.58pm:

Police say a man was arrested this morning on suspicion of dangerous driving and criminal damage.

After hospital treatment he will be placed into police custody pending further enquiries.