An elderly woman was taken to hospital after a fire at her home.

The 75-year-old angina sufferer turned on her television at about 6pm on Monday and went out of the room.

Moments later she found the set alight and called the fire brigade to the house in All Saints' Avenue, Prettygate, Colchester.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus put out the flames with a hose reel water jet.

The pensioner had breathed in some smoke and was taken to Colchester General Hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

Colchester fire station officer Andy Butcher said: "The fire was contained to one back room although there was some smoke damage to the rest of the house."

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