Eleven police vehicles were damaged in a fire at a Ministry of Defence headquarters.

Five fire crews are tackling a blaze in a storage building at the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency (MDPGA) inWethersfield.

It is completely alight and contained cylinders, vehicles and maintenance equipment.

A spokesman for the MDPGA said staff reported the fire at 2pm. “A small number of employees were evacuated from buildings close to the fire while firefighters dealt with it,” he said.

“We are currently liaising with the fire service to establish the cause. “The building is believed to have been unoccupied at the time.”

He could not confirm how much damage had been caused as a full assessment was yet to be carried out.

None of the cylinders inside the building were affected by the fire, which was brought under control by 3.15pm.

Firefighters from Wethersfield, Braintree, Halstead, and the command support unit at Basildon, attended.