VIDEO: The dramatic moment a car ploughed into the wall of Portsmouth pub

The car after it was pushed into The George and Dragon

Suspected joyriders hit a parked car in Washington Road, Buckland sending the vehicle careering into the wall of The George and Dragon.

Those responsible for the smash fled the scene and are now being hunted by police.

Landlord Vladimir Nasadovich was asleep in the pub at the time and said the crash could have been much worse.

CCTV of a car hitting a parked vehicle and pushing it into the George and Dragon pub in Buckland, Portsmouth

‘It was very close to causing an explosion,’ the 51-year-old told The News.

‘They nearly destroyed the water pipes and the gas pipes inside the wall.

‘If the wall had been damaged more deeply it could have broken the gas pipes.’

The smash was reported to police at 2.37am.

The vehicle is understood to have been travelling down Hanway Road, when it sped across Washington Road and slammed into the parked green Citroen.

The force of the collision almost ripped off one of the wheels of the Citroen, smashing windows and buckling the front passenger door.

The driver then fled, with police scouring the area.

The video above shows the dramatic crash - go to 0:55 to see what happened.

The impact blasted kitchen fittings off the wall inside the building, with Mr Nasadovich believing the damage could run into the thousands.

He added: ‘We won’t be able to cook any food for a couple of weeks. It is very stressful.’

Residents have since told of their shock.

Peter McKay, 37, of Hanway Road, lives close to the pub.

He said: ‘I was sleeping in my bed when I heard this huge bang. I didn’t know what it was. It was just this loud crunch.

‘Then when I got out in the morning I just saw this car that had ploughed into the wall. I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked.’

Jenny Bosse, 21, also lives in Hanway Road. She said: ‘This could have killed somebody. I am amazed that nobody was injured.’

A crowdfunding bid has been launched to help the pub pay for the damages.

A spokeswoman for Hampshire police added: ‘It was a driver-only road traffic collision. We recovered the vehicle. The damage to the building was assessed and considered to be stable.’

Those with information on the incident can call police on 101.