A quick-thinking police officer told today how he helped save a woman and her two children from a blaze.

PC Gary Cable, of Clacton, and his colleague, PC Mark Potter, forced their way into a flat as the fire took hold.

"It was not a massive fire, but another five or ten minutes and it would have been much worse," said PC Cable.

The two officers, of Stanway road policing unit, were on patrol in Clacton at midnight when they spotted the front of the shop alight and people throwing stones at the flat above to alert the occupants.

"It was not a massive fire but it was up to the windowsills.

"Because we could not reach them, we ran around the back and forced entry.

"The female was still asleep on the sofa unaware of the fire, and we carried her and her two young children - we believe they were aged about ten - to safety.

"Then we went back to make sure there was no-one else."

As a result, no-one was injured in the fire, in St Osyth Road.

"We were just in the right place at the right time. We were glad to be able to do it."