A FAMILY of four were forced to flee their home after a car exploded on their drive in the early hours of this morning.

A fire broke out in a car parked outside a home in Hazelwood, Hawkwell, at around 1am.

Police are at the scene and have cordoned off the charred premises.

The fire service were called at 1.10am after a neighbour raised the alarm and woke the house's sleeping residents to get them out of their home.

All four escaped as the fire spread to a second vehicle on the drive and flames licked up the front of the building.

The retained fire crew from Hawkwell station led the operation, with support from two Rayleigh Weir fire crews, and had extinguished the blaze by 1.50am.

Using breathing apparatus and one hose reel the fire was put out in around 40 minutes but the family were forced to stay at friends for the night and face the devastation of their ruined vehicles and damage home today.