Residents were forced to flee a block of flats after a fire broke out.

Three fire engines were called to the incident at a ground floor flat in Langham Drive, Clacton, just before 2am yesterday morning.

A fire spokesman said initial reports said there were people inside but when crews arrived no-one was there.

Firefighters used breathing apparatus to search the flat and the blaze was put out at 2.45am.

The ground floor flat's residents were made homeless by the incident, which left their building heavily smoke logged.

Elizabeth Mays, 18, was sleeping above the flat where the fire started with children James and Jamie Lock when the alarm was raised.

She said: "Some people started ringing my buzzer and I just wondered who it was.

"I didn't get up because I thought someone was mucking about and then someone started shouting through my letter box saying 'There's a fire'."

Miss Mays picked up James, 20 months, and Jamie, five months, and ran downstairs in her dressing gown.

She said the boys only had vests on when they got outside but other people gave Miss Mays a jacket and jumper to wrap the children in.

Her partner Timothy, 35, was at work when the fire happened.

He said he believed the occupants of the downstairs flat where the fire broke out were a woman and her daughter.

She said residents had to wait until fire crews were happy there was no further danger before they could return to their homes.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.