Arson arrest after fire destroys seaside homes

A large fire has broken out in a seaside village and fire crews have arrived at the scene

Police investigating a large fire that damaged several homes in a seaside village have made an arrest.

The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was called to Beach Way in Jaywick, near Clacton where up to 10 properties were affected.

Three houses were destroyed in the fire and seven other properties have been left with smoke and heat damage.

Essex Police said a 47-year-old man from Jaywick was arrested on suspicion of arson and remained in police custody.

Fire service station manager Nick Singleton said: "We understand the scene today was very distressing for lots of people and we will be carrying out an investigation to determine the cause of the fire."

One crew remained at the scene to dampen the area and monitor hotspots, a spokesperson for the fire service said.