FIREFIGHTERS were called to a collapsed building in West Thurrock in the early hours of the morning following an explosion inside.

Crews arrived at the scene on Eastern Avenue at 1.50am to find a brick building, measuring approximately 5m x 5m, which had collapsed. The building was used for waste water pumping.

Firefighters worked quickly to make the area safe and used a thermal imaging camera to help search for any casualties. Bailey, the Live Scent Dog, also assisted with the search. No casualties were found.

Watch Manager Mark Hampton said: "Thanks to the swift actions of our crews and the support of other agencies, we were able to make the area safe. This incident is a great example of teamwork and cross-agency collaboration, with everyone working together towards a shared goal."

Crews handed the scene over to Essex Police and Anglian Water at around 4.15am.

The cause of the explosion is not known, but it is not suspicious and does not pose a further risk in the area