A SHOP was evacuated after a fire broke out in a flat above.

A candle, left burning in a bedroom, started the blaze above the convenience store in Southchurch Avenue, Southend.

Fire crews from Southend and Leigh attended and the road was closed off while firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, tackled the flames.

Eyewitness John Clark said: “It was pretty bad there was loads of smoke pouring out of the first floor. I saw flames from the flat above the shop.”

The shopkeeper, whose family also own the flat, evacuated his customers and was able to tell firefighters the flat was unoccupied.

Assistant divisional officer Martyn Hodder said: “During the incident we requested the aerial ladder platform as we thought the flames might have breached the ceiling and got into the roof. Our firefighters worked in hot and punishing conditions and managed to contain the fire.

“One bedroom where there was a candle left burning was completely gutted and the floors were destroyed, another bedroom was heat and smoke damaged. The whole flat was smoke logged.”

As crews battled the flames, other firefighters worked to salvage some goods from the shop.

Mr Hodder said: “They moved stock off the floors and moved some stock out and covered groceries with plastic sheeting to prevent water damage.

“We saved the stock and the shop was unaffected by fire.”

The shop was able to reopen on Saturday.

The fire service reiterated the message that candles should not be left burning unattended and should always be kept in a holder on a non-combustible surface and in a place where they can’t be knocked over.

Crews were called at 4.40pm on Friday - the fire was out by 6pm.