Firefighters were called to a bedroom fire in St Osyth which was caused by a make-up mirror.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service were called to Lee Wick Lane shortly before midday on Monday following reports of a house fire.

Fire crews found a make-up mirror had been left on a window sill in direct sunlight.

The light from the mirror was projected onto curtains which caused them to ignite.

Crews made sure the fire, which was contained to the bedroom, was fully extinguished and were at the scene until 12.13pm.

Watch Manager Ben Turner said: “Thankfully the occupants noticed the fire quickly and there was only minor damage to the bedroom.

“Despite that, it could easily have been much worse and shows the dangers of leaving mirrors or any other glass objects, on window sills, particularly during warm, sunny weather.”

“When the sun is more intense and out for much longer, incidents like this are surprisingly common and can be very serious.

“If you have a mirror in direct sunlight, there is a real risk of this happening in your home too. Please think carefully about where your mirrors are and move them if necessary.”