FIREFIGHTERS battled flames for about three hours after a large haystack caught fire.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service worked to extinguish a haystack fire inside a barn in Great Totham yesterday.

Crews were initially called to reports of hay bales alight in Broad Street Green Road, yesterday, at 12.28pm.

On arrival, they found a haystack alight inside a barn, which measured about 12 metres by six metres.

Gazette: SET ALIGHT: Crews arrived and found the haystack on fire inside the barn (pic: Essex Fire)

Five teams from Maldon, Witham, Tollesbury and Chelmsford, alongside the Halstead water bowser, attended the incident.

Watch Manager Andy Mott said: "Although the barn was open-fronted, access to the rear of the structure was difficult, as was the water supply due to the remote location.

"Once we got the fire under control and made sure the structure was safe, we used the farm's digger to start removing the hay to help us to extinguish the fire.

"I'd like to praise the crews who worked extremely hard in very harsh weather conditions - we had the full range of rain, sleet and wind during the three hours we were at the scene."

The fire was fully extinguished by 3.32pm, and a crew from Maldon revisited the scene in the evening to carry out further checks.

Following the event, the cause has been subsequently recorded as accidental.