ARSONISTS are on the run after a fire spread into a popular town centre pub and damaged two gardens.

The yobs initially set fire to a bin in Sydney Street, Brightlingsea, shortly before 1.30am on Friday morning.

But the blaze spread to the function room of the Freemasons Arms while hot embers also caused fires in nearby gardens.

Detectives say the bin fire was started deliberately.

In a Facebook post on Friday night, the pub’s landlords said: “We are absolutely devastated this has happened and can not put it in words the the trauma this has caused and the sickened feeling we have in our stomachs those of you that have got to know us over the last four months know what the pub means to us and how hard we’ve worked to make it successful and a happy place to go.

"We will be pushing ourselves again to rebuild what’s been destroyed and try and get the public bar area open as soon as possible we will not be defeated we can bring this back.”

Fire crews from Brightlingsea, Wivenhoe and Clacton attended at 1.23am and spent more than an hour fighting the blaze.

When they arrived, they reported the building — which contained oil and a gas cylinders — was “completely alight” and the fire had begun to spread to the main pub building, until they brought it under control.

Staff from the pub were at the scene throughout the night. The pub was closed for several months before it was re-opened in March.

Anyone with information should call Det Insp Gary Biddle at Clacton CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.