A FIRE which destroyed a petrol station shop in Bradwell is not thought to have been suspicious.

Firefighters from Braintree and Coggeshall were called to the blaze, which gutted the service shop at the BP station in Coggeshall Road, at 4.30am this morning after reports that it was full of smoke.

But an Essex Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said although an investigation into the incident has not yet been completed, the cause is not thought to be suspicious.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus used one jet and a covering jet to tackle the blaze but by 4.43am police had been called to the scene because smoke will billowing onto the A120.

An Essex Police spokesman confirmed officers' attendance.

"Officers were called to reports of a fire near a petrol station in Bradwell, in Coggeshall Road shortly before 5am this morning.

"The fire service was already on the scene and controlled the fire, which is not regarded as suspicious."

By 6.15am a thermal image camera was being used to check for any remaining flames and by 6.55am crews had extinguished the blaze, using ten sets of breathing apparatus, two jets and two hose reels.