Firefighters were called to put out a fire on the first floor of a house in Shoebury.

Fire crews from Shoebury arrived at Frobisher Road, Shoebury, on the corner of The Drakes after smoke was seen blowing from windows on the first floor at about 1.50pm.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to extinguish the fire by 2.19pm and used a thermal imaging camera to check for hot spots, leaving at about 2.50pm.

Residents of the house were seen throwing objects from bedroom windows and leaving via the front and back doors on the ground floor.

Neighbour Margatet Wickham said: "It was all upstairs and there were quite a few people standing around - they came out of the front door and out the back, over the fence.

"I saw them throwing stuff out of the bedroom window, which looked like a bin, and there was an awful lot of smoke coming from the side window of the house as well."

A fire service spokesman said: "With so many devices needing to be charged these days it is vital that everyone makes sure they take care when they plug in.

"It is very important you never leave your electrical devices charging unattended.

"Charge phones, tablets, laptops and e-cigarettes while you are in the room and turn them off when you leave the room."

For more information, visit essex-fire.gov.uk/news/Take_charge_of_your_fire_safety/