A mum turned detective after the moment a hit and run driver ploughed into her car was caught on doorbell camera.

A truck collided with the side of Carlene Nixon’s vehicle when it was parked outside her home in Maidstone Road, Rochester.

The motorist also hit a Volvo and then drove away. The incident was caught on her neighbour’s Nest doorbell camera.

Carlene’s Vauxhall Zafira was left with a burst tyre, a damaged wheel, and scrapes down the side, while her neighbour’s car may have to be written off because it was so badly damaged.

Both Carlene and her neighbour contacted the police via 101 and reported the incident online.

But when she heard nothing back, mum-of-two decided to try to track the driver down herself.

She asked others living in her street if they had any CCTV and luckily the incident had been caught on doorbell camera.

Carlene posted the footage online on several community Facebook groups and got a lot of responses.

She was able to find track the truck down to a landscaping company, but the owner said they hadn’t been behind the wheel.

The 45-year-old said: “The power of social media worked. People messaged me to say they had seen it.

“I was able to find out the company who owns the van, but it wasn’t the owner of the company who was driving, it was someone who was working for him. The owner has been really cooperative, really helpful.”

Although Carlene is now able to go through her insurance company to get the damage to her car repaired, the self-employed fitness instructor says she feels let down by police.

“The police didn't contact us after we reported it to 101,” she said. “Neither me or my neighbour had a response.

“They don’t seem to care unless someone dies. But it could have been a lot more serious.

“We could have been in the road getting the kids in or out of the car, or my kids could have been sat in the car waiting for me, which they can do if I’m locking up the house.

“We just want the police to respond and someone to be held accountable. It is frustrating.

“The driver has left the scene so that’s an offence. To me, I don’t think he should be on the road.

Carlene says it is the fifth time cars have been damaged outside her home, either belonging to her or her neighbours.

She added: “About five years ago, at Christmas, we had someone in a hire car hit both mine and my husband’s cars. They were both written off.

“The driver abandoned the hire car and left his mobile phone inside along with the car hire details. But still the police weren't able to do anything.

She added: “We were burgled last November and although someone was arrested, they were never charged.

“I have just lost faith in the police service really.”

The incident happened on Monday, July 18, just before 10am. The truck was later found in nearby St William’s Way with two burst tyres.

The owner of the company told KentOnline he immediately terminated the driver’s employment when he was told about the accident and said it was his first day working for him as a labourer.

He added that he was very sorry for what had happened and had done everything he could to help the owner's of the damaged cars make claims though their insurance companies.