A block of flats was evacuated in the early hours of this morning during a “deliberate” fire in the car park.

Two fire crews from Colchester were called to a fire in the basement car park of a block of 12 flats on the De Grey Road.

On arrival the firefighters were confronted with a well developed fire involving six wheelie bins filled with rubbish, recycling bins and other refuse including a mattress and some wood.

Smoke from the fire filled the car park and spread into the block causing residents to evacuate the building. The fire also damaged outlet drainage pipes and electricity cables leaving six flats unable to run water or flush the toilet and three flats without electricity.

Wearing breathing apparatus and using two hose reel jets crews had extinguished the fire by 2.04am.

Sub Officer Craig Todd, incident commander, said: “We arrived to find a very well developed fire, involving a large amount of rubbish, in the basement car park of a block of flats.

“The fire damaged a number of cars as well as smoke logging the entire building.

“It also burned through the building’s soil pipes destroying the sewage outlet for six of the flats as well as damaging electrical cabling leaving three flats without power.

“Crews did an excellent job in tackling the fire in difficult and heavily smoke logged conditions. It was contained to the basement although much of the block suffered smoke damage.”

No one was injured as a result of this fire.

The cause of the fire will be recorded as deliberate.