A family's worst nightmare came true today when they were called home from holiday early after their house burnt down.

Flames gutted the building in Pudsey Hall Lane, Canewdon, burning the roof and leaving a blackened shell.

Investigators were sifting through the remains trying to discover the cause of the blaze which broke out at 6am.

Crews from Rochford and Hawkwell spent three and a half hours tackling the flames and damping down.

Four firefighters needed to wear breathing apparatus to bring the blaze under control.

Firefighter Paul Brown said: "The house had been burning for some time when we arrived. It was a severe blaze and really only the shell of the house remains. It destroyed the roof and gutted the interior.

"The owners were on holiday in the New Forest and have been called back. It is a nasty shock for them."

He added: "We are not sure how the fire started and will be holding an investigation to try to discover the cause."

Meanwhile, two teenage girls celebrating exam passes in Canewdon, needed to call the fire brigade after the chip pan they were using caught alight.

Crews from Rochford and Hawkwell were summoned to the farm in Larkhill Road at 7.24pm yesterday.

The girls, aged 16 and 17 who had just received their GCSE results, needed hospital treatment for smoke inhalation.

Mr Brown said: "The ground floor was filled with black smoke and quite a lot of damage was done to the kitchen."

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