Firefighters were called to a second-floor flat fire in the early hours of this morning to "flames coming from a window".

The flat fire, in Burr Hill Chase, Westcliff, happened around 4.35am this morning, with five crews tackling a completely alight second floor room.

Residents of the flat shouted that a man was inside the flat, but firefighters found him and walked him down the stairs to safety and he was given oxygen to help with smoke inhalation.

Other residents on the same corridor were evacuated and other residents were told to stay in their rooms as instructed by the building's stay-put policy.

Watch manager Richard Burch, Southend Fire Station, said: "The fire doors did their job, which meant the fire was contained to the flat where it started.

"Although sadly the flat has been completely destroyed by fire, there was only some smoke damage to the rest of the floor meaning no one else has lost their home."

Watch manager Sam Ridley, Leigh Fire Station, added: "Our crews were faced with a significant fire on arrival and it was thanks to their hard work we brought this under control and extinguished it quickly."

Officers will now carry out an investigation into the cause.