PART of an Essex town was closed off today after the side of a house collapsed.

James Hore

PART of an Essex town was closed off today after the side of a house collapsed.

Police were called to Manningtree High Street at about 11am, although no-one was injured when the wall fell on to the pavement.

Diversions for traffic have been put in place and a scaffolding company is at the scene.

Simon Marathan, of The Manningtree Delicatessen Ltd, based in the High Street, said the hole was about the size of a car.

He said: “The main thing is that nobody was hurt, but there is a huge hole in the side of the house which is about 20ft by 15ft.

“It has just collapsed - had anyone been underneath it, they would have been dead - there is no doubt about it.”