Firefighters tackle blaze outside Southend city centre bar

Firefighters rushed to a Southend city centre bar on Saturday afternoon after a fire broke out in an outside area, sending smoke into the surrounding street.

Two fire engines were dispatched to Heroes Bar, on the corner of Chichester Road and Southchurch Road, after the blaze broke out at around 2pm.

People passing through the busy junction were shocked to see flames rising above a fenced area outside the building, with smoke visible along the street.

Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control using hose lines before extinguishing the flames.

Two ambulances were also dispatched to the incident. The fire was next to the bar building, with people reportedly inside Barts Bar on the floor above at the time.

Heroes Bar itself, on the ground floor, was empty when the fire broke out. The venue is now generally used for private hire events rather than opening as a regular bar.

It has been reported that the blaze may have been caused by a faulty air-conditioning unit, although the cause has not been formally confirmed.

The incident attracted attention from people passing through the city centre as emergency crews worked at the scene.

Photos by Alfie Harris.