FIREFIGHTERS were called to a flat fire in Basildon late on Saturday night after the occupant got locked out, leaving cooking unattended.

The cooking, on the kitchen stove, sparked a fire in the property in Polsteads, with two crews from Basildon attending shortly before midnight.

After gaining entry to the property, crews wearing breathing apparatus reported the flat as heavily smoke logged, extinguished the fire and used a high pressure fan to clear the smoke.

There were no reported casualties.