By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
A drunk driver ploughed straight into a family-run pub beloved by Ed Sheeran, causing £50,000 of damage and leaving a huge hole in the front.
CCTV footage from just after midnight on August 10 shows a red Toyota Yaris smashing through the restaurant of the family-owned Pilot Inn in Dungeness, Kent.
Howard Sargent, 52, pleaded guilty last week at Folkestone Magistrates' Court to being unfit to drive through drink.
Owners Niko Miaoulis, 61, and his wife Rachel, 58, were left in shock as they watched the incident unfold at around 12.05am.
Fortunately nobody was injured as no staff were onsite at the time, and the family live around 15 miles away.
However, the damage was substantial and cost them around £50,000 to repair as they couldn't afford to wait for the insurance company if it meant closing the business.
Shocking photographs show the aftermath of the crash, with the front of the dining area destroyed and the vehicle completely wrecked.
The couple were determined to avoid closing the pub, which has previously been visited by celebrities including singer Ed Sheeran.
CCTV footage from just after midnight on August 10 shows a red Toyota Yaris smashing through the restaurant area of the family-owned Pilot Inn in Dungeness, Kent
Shocking photographs show the aftermath of the crash, with the front of the dining area destroyed and the vehicle completely wrecked
Mrs Miaoulis said: 'The first thing I saw was a car in the veranda at the pub. I couldn't really believe what I was seeing.
'When we came down it was just so emotional because this is our business. There was a hole in the front of it, and we didn't know how we were going to recover.
'It was just soul destroying. There was so much damage and glass everywhere.. We just had to rally ourselves and start clearing up. It is our busiest time of year.'
The owners say they have been running the business, with their sons Robert, 31, and Jonathan, 23, for over 25 years.
The family were overwhelmed by support following the crash, and say over 20 people showed up to help them fix the damage.
The pub partially opened less than 12 hours after the incident, with a section boarded off, and repairs were fully completed within 10 days.
Mr Miaoulis said: 'The alarms went off in the middle of the night and then four of the neighbours called me to say a car had impacted the building.
'Within about three minutes we had the CCTV cameras up and we watched what happened. And within 20 minutes we were down there starting work.
The drunk driver caused £50,000 of damage, which the family paid for themselves to avoid having to close the venue while awaiting a payout from their insurers
Fortunately nobody was injured as no staff were onsite at the time, and the family live around 15 miles away
The popular pub's front was left in tatters by the incident - the driver is due to be sentenced in October
The family were overwhelmed by support following the crash, and say over 20 people showed up to help them fix the damage
Remarkably, the family were able to partly reopen the pub just 12 hours later
'We had upwards of 20 local people show up to help us clear up and see what could be done. We worked all through the night and managed to open the next day - with a section closed off.
'We managed to fully open again in ten days. It was amazing and emotional for us that so many people showed up and gave their time. I will be forever indebted to them.'
Mrs Miaoulis added: 'We were just running on adrenaline. We were up all night. We managed to be open at 12 the next day. It didn't look very appealing, but we were open, and that was amazing.
'It was really stressful. We couldn't sleep because it was always on our minds.
'Everyone was so kind. Even if they couldn't come down and help, they were sending messages of support online. Our staff were amazing and the people who live nearby were fantastic.'
The local pub has grown substantially since opening, serving up to a thousand meals a day with around 50 members of staff on the books.
The venue has even become popular with celebrities, seeing recent visits from Ed Sheeran and Rag'n'Bone Man.
On the court case, Mr Miaoulis said: 'Life is too short to hold grudges and be bitter. I hope that he gets the maximum justice, but at the end of the day we just have to run our business.'
Sargent will be sentenced on October 13.
