Around 150 residents were evacuated from their homes as Army experts blew up a suspicious package in the heart of Southend.

Roadblocks were put up in Southchurch Avenue after the package - the third in the last two months - was found underneath a car in Windermere Road.

Southend Council put its emergency plan into action and took two busloads of people to the Civic Centre in Victoria Avenue.

Two fire engines from Southend secured the BP petrol station on Southchurch Road and an ambulance was on standby as an explosives team from Colchester detonated the package using a robot.

It turned out the package was not full of explosives and the black Ford Escort, belonging to Sharron Furnell, of Windermere Road, was left undamaged by the explosion.

Ms Furnell said: "Police came and told me they had found a suspicious package under my car at 9pm on Friday. I had to stay because they said the bomb squad might have to blow the car up."

Police opened the roads and gave the all clear for residents to return to their homes at around 11pm.

Relief - Sharron Furnell with her Ford Escort under which the suspect package was found

Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL

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