A New Year prank at a Brentwood pub ended with a man being taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
Fire fighters equipped with breathing apparatus were called to Scruffy Murphy's pub on the King's Road at 10.20pm on Saturday when the building filled with smoke.
Two customers suffered smoke inhalation as a result of the incident. One was taken to Oldchurch Hospital before being released, while the other declined treatment.
Police now believe that the incident was caused by a smoke cannister which was set off in the pub's toilet. There was no sign of fire damage.
Sgt David Ashbolt of Brentwood Police said: "It looks like a prank of some sort.
''Unfortunately it seems to have gone wrong because people have had to be taken to hospital."
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