Essex firefighter comes to rescue with beef wellington

Amanda Crispin (right) was so surprised and 'tickled' at her guest

A firefighter has made an unusual rescue... by cooking a beef wellington for a woman in need.

Amanda Crispin, of Benfleet, posted a desperate request on her local Facebook group about how to make a beef wellington.

To her surprise, Rayleigh fire-fighter Taylor Smerdon saw the post and made her one.

Ms Crispin said: "I'm an airfryer kind of girl... I have no idea how to cook a beef wellington."

Although the request may have seemed like a joke, she said it was a "genuine ask for help" after her husband suggested she cook the traditional classic, to help cheer up a friend.

The dish before and after it was cooked for Ms Crispin and her friend

"I thought of the Benfleet community because I've used it for various requests before... I said I will be passing this off as my own" she said.

After Mr Smerdon got in touch with his kind offer, she told BBC Essex she could no longer try to lie about who had made the dish.

She said: "I was so tickled, my husband thought I was joking when I said a firefighter is about to drop off the beef wellington."

An avid cook, Mr Smerdon says he is willing to give any dish a go for his fire crew team mates at work and this was no exception.

He said: "I saw the post and I just thought, 'I'm not doing anything this afternoon I'll give it a go... and it turned out alright'."

"I cook quite a lot in my spare time, I cook for the lads at work as well, I do enjoy it" he said.