A fire broke out late last night at a disused factory in Wickford.

Fire crews attended the fire in Russell Gardens after reports came in of the fire at around 9pm.

Crews from both Wickford and Rayleigh Weir attended the fire at the factory that was set for redevelopment.

Following the blaze, Tony Vickress, watch manager for Essex Fire, said: "Initially we were called to reports of smoke in the area in Bridge Road, Wickford, but on arrival we could see flames coming from the distance in Russell Gardens.

"Crews immediately changed the location and proceeded to Russell Gardens, where there was a disused factory which was 30 per cent alight.

"Firefighters worked to fight the fire from the outside as conditions inside the building made it unsafe to enter.

"The fire was extinguished by 10pm and firefighters then stayed on the scene to dampen down hotspots and ventilate the property.

"The building has suffered about 25 per cent fire damage and smoke damage."

The cause of the fire has been recorded as deliberate.