THE Co-operative supermarket in Rochford had to be evacuated last night as firefighters tackled a blaze at a neighbouring property.

One crew from Rochford fire station were seen at around 8pm tackling the blaze, thought to be at the rear of a carpet shop in West Street.

Firefighters used two hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze and thankfully no-one was hurt.

The crew used a ladder to scale the ten foot wall, as there was no other means of gaining access to where the fire, thought to be rubbish that had caught light, was located.

Fortunately no-one was hurt in the incident but shoppers in the nearby Co-op store, in Roche Close, complained of difficulty breathing, because of the smoke, and the shop had to be evacuated after it filled with smoke.