Vandals torched a shed, which led to the closure of a busy road.

Crooks set fire to the wooden hut in the back garden of a home in Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff, at about 9.10pm on Thursday night.

The road Leigh-bound had to be closed off for fire crews to get to the property, and they had the fire extinguished in twenty minutes.

The shed and fence panels were destroyed.