Two men flee scene and pensioner taken to hospital after Jaguar smashes into house in Marlow Road, Penge

The car careered into the property, in Marlow Road, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The occupant of the house, a 71-year-old man named locally as Ernest, was taken to hospital suffering from cuts and shock following the impact, just after 7am.

Two men fled the scene - which ripped apart the conservatory - but were later found.

The airbags were deployed and lights left on in the aftermath of the collision, where a green X-type Jaguar was written off.

Neighbour Louise Vigar, 50, said: "Everybody must have heard the bang; the car has come haring up the road, it must have been going over 50mph.

"I've come running down the street, still in my pyjamas, when I came out all I could see was the car straight through the wall.

"They took out three concrete bollards, it's [the car] gone through those, his fence, his conservatory and into his kitchen where he was standing.  The impact nearly knocked him over, it was quite substantial; it's caused structural damage."

Residents flooded out of their houses to see the cause of the commotion and help.

Ms Vigar added: "The owner, Ernest, came out and of course he was in shock

"He had a cut on his hand and he was covered in rubble, it was all over his trousers.

"He was shaking and I was concerned he was going to go into shock, he could have had a heart attack. He kept saying he was fine, but he was upset about his house.

"He said to me, he was making tea as he was going to church but he normally makes coffee, so he would have been standing near the wall where the car came through - but he happened to be standing at the other end of the kitchen making a cup of tea.

"He was very, very lucky, this is the nearest someone has come to being killed. They [driver and passenger] abandoned the car, they could have killed someone.”

With the car possibly smoking, and water ‘pouring out’ of the house, all emergency services were called to the scene.

She added: "It looked like the car was smoking and the first thing I thought was: is the petrol going to explode?

"I think the ignition was still on, and a man rolled down his sleeve - so as not to get fingerprints - to reach in and turned it off."

Warwick Road resident, Steve Wallington, 59, said: “Me and my wife were in bed and we heard a massive bang.

“It woke me up and I’m deaf! We saw people running down the road we thought they were running to help but then saw the car in the wall and realised that they were running away.

“He [householder] was shaking.”

The road was closed for a short period while the car and debris were removed.

A Met spokesman the Met said: "The driver and passenger from the vehicle were seen running from the scene.

"Two men, aged 32 and 40, were subsequently traced to an address in Croydon and arrested on suspicion of drink driving, criminal damage and leaving the scene of an accident. "The 40-year-old man required treatment for minor injuries, believed to have been sustained in the collision at hospital.

"Both men have been bailed until 26 January."

Another resident of Warwick Road, who did not wish to be named, said: "What happened was a Jaguar smashed into the building.

“It happened Sunday morning, I just woke up and it was at the end of the road and the road was closed.

"I left to go Christmas shopping at about 10am when I saw it.

"The man whose house it belongs to was eating breakfast. He's in hospital."

He added: "There's been quite a few accidents over the past few years."

Ms Vigar reported seeing and speaking to Ernest later that day, who said he spending the night elsewhere.

Did you see what happened? Get in touch on Rebecca.Flood@london.newsquest.co.uk