A countryside road was closed for several hours after a horsebox went up in flames. 

Canewdon Road near Ashingdon was closed near to Hyde Wood Lane as a result of the fire. 

The road was shut around 3.30pm today (Friday, March 26) and reopened around 6pm. 

A spokesman for Essex Fire Service said: "Firefighters extinguished a horse box full of straw that caught alight in Canewdon today at 2.16pm.

"Three crews - from Rayleigh Weir, Hawkwell and Rochford - were called to Canewdon Road and found a horse trailer containing approximately one tonne of straw alight.

"No animals were involved.

"They extinguished the fire at 3.10pm.

"The cause has been recorded as accidental."