FIREFIGHTERS were called to tackle a town centre flat fire in Clacton.

The blaze broke out in a first-floor flat over shop Access and Bathing Solutions on Station Road.

Two fire engines from Clacton and several police cars rushed to the scene, blocking off the busy road while the incident was dealt with.

Initial reports suggested there was someone trapped inside the flat, but firefighters quickly established that no one was caught in the blaze.

The fire is thought to have started at around 2pm on Friday, and crews used breathing masks to enter the flat and put out the flames by about 2.40pm.

Station manager at Clacton, Lee Palfreyman, said: “We were called out when smoke was spotted coming from a house.

“There are three flats on the first floor over the shop, and the fire had broken out in the rear flat.

“It was about 50 percent alight when we got to the scene, and the flat was badly damaged.

“The crews did an excellent job in difficult conditions and stopped the situation becoming far worse.”

There will be a joint investigation between the police and fire brigade to establish the cause of the fire.