Office destroyed by fire started by a cigarette

Firefighters have urged people to throw away their used cigarettes safely

A farm office has been destroyed by a fire which was started from a cigarette, a fire service said.

Firefighters from Wethersfield and Thaxted were called to the property in Little Bardfield, Essex, on Wednesday evening after the blaze broke out.

The property's owners had tackled the fire themselves and almost extinguished it before firefighters arrived, said a spokesperson for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.

Watch manager Darren Hockley has urged people who smoke to ensure any cigarettes were put out properly before being thrown away.

He added: "Unfortunately [the fire] has completely destroyed the farm’s office."