MORE than 50 residents, who were evacuated from a new four-storey block of flats after a major blaze yesterday morning, have returned to their homes.

But more than ten people are believed to have been made homeless by the fire which firefighters say was caused by a barbecue on a roof balcony.

Crews were called to timber-frame Meridian Point in Southchurch Road, Southend, at 4.15am yesterday and residents were taken to the Sacred Heart RC Church over the road.

Southchurch Road was closed to traffic but is now open. At 4:58am, crews reported that the building of four floors, measuring 50m x 30m, with a central rooftop maisonettewell alight.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus searched the building and tackled the flames. An aerial ladder platform was called in to help.

More crews were then called in and firefighters asked Southend Council's emergency planning officer to attend.

The fire was under control by 6.07am. Everyone has been accounted for.

Assistant Divisional Officer Martin Powell said: "The fire is predominantly out now and crews are carrying out salvage operations, turning over and damping down and cutting away parts of the timber to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.

"Crews did an excellent job in evacuating the building quickly and calmly and worked extremely hard ferrying equipment and people up and down five flights of stairs. The rapid intervention of the first crews on the scene meant we were able to control the incident well from the start and this was maintained throughout.

"Crews in breathing apparatus carried out a thorough search of the building to ensure everyone was out safely but a couple of people could not be accounted for. Police established they were not in the flats at the time of the fire.

"Primarily the incident involved two studio flats and a roof terrace in what appears to be a relatively new development, but flames spread through roof space and timber ducts.

"More than 50 people have been out of their homes since around 4.30am this morning, so we have given them water and they are now awaiting assistance from council officials."