A disabled man has been made homeless after a fire destroyed his home.

John Frost, 56, who lives in a council bungalow, in Shaw Road, on the Rickstones estate, Witham, had to flee from his home on Tuesday night, after a neighbour spotted smoke and called firefighters.

Mr Frost had only returned home from hospital the previous day following a minor operation.

He was watching television when a neighbour saw smoke billowing from his house and phoned to warn him just after 10pm.

Mr Frost, who lives alone after his wife died earlier this year, managed to run out of the house, escaping unharmed.

He said: "I was sitting watching a film and was completely unaware of the fire until a neighbour called. I just grabbed the phone off the wall and ran from the house. I did not have time to think and was not shaky until later on.

"I feel all right for the moment but who knows what the day will bring."

Two fire engines from Witham and one from Chelmsford rushed to the scene and worked until the early hours of the morning to put out the blaze.

At the height of the blaze elderly and disabled neighbours were evacuated. They were kept out of the homes for several hours while fire crews foughtthe flames. No other properties were damaged.

Mr Frost had to leave his gutted home and stay overnight with friends.

He returned to his bungalow today to meet with council officials and to try and salvage some belongings. His pension, which he had just received, was burnt in the fire.

Next door neighbour Doris Greenaway, 80, said: "A neighbour knocked to tell me about the fire. I grabbed some clothes, got dressed and got out as quickly as I could.

"The firemen kept checking the walls of my house to see if the fire was coming through but luckily it did not.

"I could not sleep all night just in case we had to rush out again. I was really shaky but now I am just grateful no one is hurt - it was amazing no one was."

Chris Trim, spokesman for Braintree Council, said Mr Frost would be rehoused in a bungalow specially equipped for disabled people on the same street.

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