Elderly residents were given a treat when a crew of firemen carried them upstairs to bed.

Firefighters from Hadleigh were called to a broken down lift at Stafford House, a residential home in Thundersley Park Road, Benfleet.

Firefighter Stuart Huxter said: "There was a lift engineer working on the lift when we arrived but it hadn't been fixed and it was getting late so we helped the residents to get to their rooms.

"Some could walk and just needed a bit of help getting up the stairs but there were people in wheelchairs who we had to carry up."

Eight officers spent an hour and 20 minutes helping out and made sure everyone was tucked up in bed safely.

Diane Roberts, area manager for Ashbourne Homes, which owns Stafford House, said: "The firefighters were very helpful and really nice.

"They have helped us out in the past and we are very grateful to them."

Mrs Roberts added the home was still waiting for some parts to fix the lift but she hoped it would be working again within the next couple of days.

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