A car blaze and a theft have combined to persuade two new Essex residents to abandon Clacton for their native Wiltshire - after just two days!

Chris and Sarah Watford had lived in Essex for only two days when their house was was damaged by a car fire - as neighbours stood and watched.

A car hit a lamp post outside their home in Dahlia Close, Clacton, and exploded.

No neighbours offered help, the couple said, and as firefighters battled the blaze someone went into their home and stole Mr Watford's watch.

Mr Watford suffered an asthma attack because of the smoke.

The family moved from Wiltshire two days before as Mr Watford, 40, a business consultant in Docklands, wanted to commute from home.

He said: "The thing that got to me was all this was going on in the middle of the night, there were lots of neighbours around, a car and a house on fire and the neighbours were more concerned about moving their own cars away. No-one said anything to us.

"There was a crying nine-month-old baby, my wife was very upset and my daughter was white with fear.

"The whole fibre is they do not care, which is why we are going to get out of here. If that is what the culture of Essex people is like I don't want to be here."

He said there were around 35 neighbours present but not one checked if his family was all right or needed any help.

Mrs Watford, 27, woke up when she heard the car crash and got her daughter Eloise, five, from her bedroom, which was next to the fire. She then got her baby, Harrison, and left the house as her husband called for help.

Police said the incident happened at about 3am on Saturday when a Ford Fiesta XR2 car, believed to have been stolen, hit a lamp post.

A spokesperson added that officers had taken the family back from hospital, which they did not have to do, and had put the family's welfare first.

Anyone with information should call Clacton police on 01255 221312 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Stunned - the Watford family outside their house following the car fire on Saturday morning.

Picture: SEANA HUGHES

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