A DUSTCART had to dump its load into the middle of the road after a fire broke out in the rubbish.

The incident blocked Plumberow Avenue, Hockley, for more than an hour yesterday morning.

The driver spotted the flames as he picked up bins at about 8.15am and called firefighters.

Leading firefighter Rick Jones said: “It seems someone had put some hot embers in their rubbish and it had started the fire.

“The driver tipped the back of the cart up to empty the rubbish on to the road so we could quickly get to the seat of the fire.”

Mike Steptoe, Tory councillor responsible for waste collection at Rochford District Council, said the cause of the fire was still being investigated.