EMERGENCY services were called to Southend's Kursaal Estate amid fears someone was trapped in a fire.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service, Essex Police and East of England Ambulance crews attended the reported incident after 4pm yesterday.

At least three fire vehicles, three ambulance crews and a number of marked and unmarked police cars were seen at the scene on Woodgrange Estate, also known as the Kursaal Estate.

A number of residents suggested crews were responding to a fire call with reports a person trapped in one of the flats.

However, a spokesman for the Essex Fire and Rescue Service has since told the Echo this incident was a false alarm.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "We were called to Outing Close, Southend at 4.38pm yesterday to reports of a flat fire with a person potentially inside the building

"Four crews were sent to the building due to the risk that somebody was trapped inside 

"On arrival, crews reported that all persons were accounted for and it was a false alarm."

Essex Police confirmed this was a fire service-led incident.

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