A 60-year-old man woke to a nightmare after a car ploughed over his front garden wall, sending bricks flying through the windows of his home.

Ray Hayes, of Clayhall Avenue, Clayhall, was asleep on Tuesday when the car crossed into oncoming traffic, hit a parked vehicle and came to a standstill just outside his front door.

The father-of-three said he thought he was still dreaming until he heard voices outside his house.

“I went to bed at about 10pm. Then there must have been a lot of noise when the car hit the wall as something disturbed me but I was not sure what was going on,” bus driver Mr Hayes said.

“I thought I’d been woken up by a dream. Then I heard the voices outside.”

Bricks from his garden wall were sent flying through his front windows, a tree was uprooted and the car parked in the road in front of his house was smashed.

Mr Hayes said: “The engine compartment was almost in the cab of the car. When I looked out the window I thought ‘good lord’ and went into my study. There were bricks where I’d been sitting an hour before.”

The car parked outside his house belonged to a friend who was visiting his next door neighbour. He had delayed leaving to have a quick cup of tea.

Mr Hayes said: “If he’d left when he’d intended to he would have been in that car and would not have survived.

“I’m pretty gutted. I have to pick up the damage myself. I’m the short-term victim as I couldn’t go to work so won’t get paid.”

Ambulance and fire services were called to the scene and the 19-year-old driver was treated for minor head injuries before being taken to hospital. Police were unavailable for comment.