FIRE bosses have said a fire which damaged an historic village factory is confirmed to have been started deliberately.

Firefighters were called to Church Street in Coggeshall last night (Wednesday, February 9).

Crews were responding to reports of a fire at the village's Hollington factory at around 11.50pm.

Teams from Coggeshall and Tiptree were called into action and were able to put out the fire in less than an hour.

But now Essex County Fire and Rescue Service say the fire is a result of arson.

A spokesman for the service said: "We were called to a fire in a derelict building in Church Street, Coggeshall yesterday (Wednesday, February 9) at 11.50pm.

"On-call crews from Coggeshall and Tiptree attended and fully extinguished the fire by 12.36am.

"The cause has been recorded as deliberate and the scene was left in the care of Essex Police."

The Hollington factory was closed in 2013 and is currently disused.

Surrounded by Grade II listed properties, the factory has recently been earmarked for development.

Plans would see the former textile factory demolished and rebuilt to comply with current design standards and building regulations.

It comes amid concerns over the building's safety, mainly roofing tiles being blown off by strong winds.

Residents close to the fire also say Essex Fire Service advised them to close their windows due to smoke but also asbestos being present at the site.