A LORRY caught fire on the A127 London-bound carriageway.

The lorry pulled up on Thanet Grange near the Tesco roundabout in Southend at the junction of Prince Avenue and Nestuda Way.

Thanet Grange was closed while two crews from Southend attended to extinguish the flames.

Police and fire escorted the lorry to a safe place where the fire service could check the lorry and make sure all the hotspots were out.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "Firefighters were called to a fire involving a lorry trailer in Thanet Grange, Westcliff.

"The fire was extinguished by 3:10pm. Firefighters and Police then escorted the lorry to a safe location so they could empty the load and check that all the hot spots were extinguished."

The carriageway is now clear and the investigation into the cause is ongoing.