A garage has been completely destroyed in a fire which spread to a thatched cottage.

One witness reported seeing up to ten fire crews at the scene in Stevens Lane, Felsted, this afternoon.

When the firefighters arrived the garage was completely alight and the fire had spread to the thatched roof of a neighbouring cottage.

Sarah Hazell was out walking with her daughter when the fire crews arrived.

She said: “We heard the sirens and then saw the thick black smoke.

“We saw two fireman on the roof pulling the thatch away trying to stop the fire from spreading.

“The garage is destroyed.

“We saw nine fire engines and heard at least another four or five on their way.”

A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: "The first fire crews on the scene quickly got to work removing the thatch from the roof to stop the fire spreading to the whole property.

"Thanks to the hard work of the firefighters, the fire only affected 10 percent of the roof.

"The fire was extinguished at 2:50pm. The garage has been completely destroyed."

An investigation will now be carried out to find the cause of the fire.