A family has been left homeless after an electrical blaze destroyed a home.

Firefighters were called to a fire in an end-of-terrace house in Southend on Thursday in Chestnut Grove, Southend.

When fire crews arrived at the property they reported that the first floor of the house was completely alight.

Firefighters quickly managed to extinguish the fire and stopped it from spreading to the neighbouring houses.

Fire crews administered oxygen therapy to one casualty who was suffering with the effects of smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire was found to be accidental due to overloaded electrics.

The house was badly damaged by the fire and is not habitable.

Watch Manager Dan Wastell said: "Electrical appliances, plugs and cables that are old or poorly wired can be a real danger in your home.

"There are particular danger signs to look out for on all electrical items you have around your home.

"If you think something needs fixing or changing do it straight away."

Electrical Fire Safety Advice:

Overloaded sockets. Plugging too many electrical appliances into one socket can lead to overheating.

Hot plugs or sockets, scorch marks, fuses that often blow, or flickering light are all signs of loose wiring or other electrical problems.

Only use one adaptor per socket. Don’t plug one adaptor into another and try to keep to one plug per socket

Check the manual or look for a sticker on the appliance to find out its wattage and then use the correct fuse.