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Twenty firefighters were hospitalised after a fire at an industrial unit in Essex yesterday.

More than 100 fire crew had responded to the fire, which followed an explosion heard across the county and also destroyed three fire engines.

Two fire officer cars were also wrecked, according to Rick Hylton, chief fire officer at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.

Four of the hospitalised firefighters were treated for minor injuries, while the rest were checked for hearing loss.

All have now been discharged, Mr Hylton said.

He added it was one of the 'most challenging and complex incidents' his force had responded to in years.

Firefighters worked 'tirelessly in extremely challenging and hazardous conditions' from yesterday to this morning to stop the fire spreading further, he added.

This is a breaking news story.

An aerial image of the site showed the extent of the blaze yesterday which involved more than 100 firefighters