Lightning strikes leave Essex pub and home uninhabitable

A pub and a home have been left uninhabitable after their roofs caught fire when they were struck by lightning.

Essex Fire Service said seven crews were sent to Holland-on-Sea, near Clacton, at about 09:45 BST after the Oakwood Inn was hit.

Another lightning strike during the morning destroyed the roof of a house on Waarem Avenue, Canvey Island.

The Met Office has issued a warning for storms in eastern England until 18:00.

Three fire crews arrived at the Canvey home at about 08:40, with the blaze being extinguished just under two hours later.

A fire service spokeswoman said neighbours heard a "loud bang" and "acted quickly" to raise the alarm.

Adrian Clarke, watch manager from Ingatestone Fire Station, praised them for their actions.

"While fires like this cannot be prevented, we'd like to stress the importance of acting quickly when there is a fire," he said.

Firefighters were also alerted to the Oakwood Inn blaze by residents.

Darren Tappenden, crew manager from Clacton Fire Station, said: "Crews worked quickly to get this fire under control to prevent it spreading further into the pub.

"This is the third incident we've seen since the stormy weather over the weekend - and while we can't prevent incidents like these, we would advise you act quickly when there's a fire in your home."

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