Huge plumes of smoke could be seen from miles around when a Southend garage was gutted by a massive fire.
Battle - fire crews had to use sledgehammers to get into the garage Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY VJMJS2
Three cars were destroyed in the spray shop on Priorywood Industrial park off Stock Road at 1.30pm yesterday.
Two engines from Southend station, less than 200 yards away, initially attended but firefighters soon requested another three including an aerial platform.
Southend station officer Martyn Hodder said: "We had to use sledgehammers to get in until the key owner turned up. The walls cracked because of the heat and the fire was beginning to affect other units."
Published Monday January 26, 2004
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