Firefighters tackle blaze at Harvester restaurant in Stanway

Firefighters tackled a rapidly developing blaze at a Harvester restaurant in Stanway, near Colchester, after crews were called to London Road at 00:50 BST. The incident was brought under control, but the building was left significantly damaged. Firefighters worked in sections to limit spread to nearby properties. Incident commander Jeremy Tuckwell said crews are expected to remain at the scene for some time and that road closures would stay in place throughout the morning, advising people to avoid the area. He added that an investigation into the cause will begin once the site is safe.