A man has been taken to hospital after a van crashed into parked cars in Thaxted this afternoon (Thursday).

Essex Air Ambulance was scrambled to Newbiggen Street after the crash at 1.35pm. The road is closed at the junction with Margaret Street.

It is thought that the van crashed into two parked cars, pushing them into a home.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said they treated a man, thought to be in his 40s, who was unconscious but breathing.

He said the man was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge, where he arrived in a “serious condition”.

The spokesman added that an ambulance, two rapid response vehicles, an ambulance officer and the Hazardous Area Response Team were sent to the scene.

Peter Williamson, whose house was hit by the Mercedes, said: “I just heard a loud bang and came out to see what had happened. I believe the man had suffered some sort of medical episode behind the wheel, and he was in a bad way.

“Neighbours in the street did a great job in rallying around to help him, and I just hope he makes a recovery.”

Mrs Harding, of Newbiggen Street, said: “It’s a very unfortunate thing to happen to the poor chap. As far as I understand, the van scraped the church wall before crashing into a couple of cars as it came round the corner.

“It’s just lucky that there was nobody on the pavement at the time.”

This latest accident comes about a year after a car crashed into a home in Town Street, also Thaxted.