Traffic came to a standstill after a crash involving a supercar blocked a major road in Southend.

The crash, which involved high-end sports car McLaren Senna, took place between the Bellhouse and Kent Elms junctions of the A127 on the London-bound carriageway.

The road was partially blocked for several hours while emergency services dealt with the scene and the vehicles were later recovered.

The crash left one car on its side and the McLaren - worth a reported £750,000 - seriously damaged.

Luckily, no one was believed to have been seriously injured in the crash.

It is unclear how it happened.

No one has been arrested or reported for driving offences since the incident took place on Thursday.

The same supercar had been at a specialist car show at Magix UK in Great Wakering last weekend.

The crash tore open one side of its bonnet and left debris scattered across the road.

The car’s front bumper flew into the windscreen and its front tyre ripped from its rim.

Horrified passersby stopped to take pictures of the written-off McLaren which was due to take pride of place at another supercar exhibit this weekend.

Pictures of the devastation were shared thousands of times across social media as people came up with their own theories about what may have happened.

The cause of the crash is being investigated.

The McLaren Senna, which can reach 60mph in 2.8 seconds, is a limited-production sports car and is the newest edition to the McLaren Ultimate Series.

Delivery of the vehicle, which has a top speed of 211mph, have reportedly only taken place in the last month.