A dozen flats were evacuated after a bag of waste was set alight.

Firefighters were called to the flats, in Braintree on Saturday morning after the waste bag was set alight deliberately in a communal stairwell.

The flats were evacuated as a precaution due to the amount of smoke.

Firefighters worked to extinguish the flame by 12.36pm, before using positive pressure ventilation fans to clear the smoke from the building.

Thankfully no-one was injured and none of the flats were affected by fire.

Following an investigation, the fire is believed to have been started deliberately.