Gas leak

Firefighters worked with Essex Police and Cadent to evacuate around 40 homes in Wickford following a gas leak.

Crews were called to Jacks Close in Wickford at 7:38pm after residents could smell a strong smell of gas from a gas box outside one of the houses.

Firefighters from Wickford Fire Station evacuated residents from around 40 homes while a 200 metre cordon was put in place.

Crews worked to make the scene safe by 8:20pm and left the scene in the care of Cadent.

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Wickford’s firefighters are on-call firefighters who all live or work within 5 minutes of Wickford Fire Station.

If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be paid to protect your community as an on-call firefighter.

Watch Manager Andy Smith from Wickford Fire Station said: "We're particularly interested in anyone who can provide fire cover during the day. If you'd like to find out more, potential applicants are more than welcome to pop along to Wickford Fire Station on a Tuesday evening from 7pm where we hold our weekly training night."

Find out more about the role and how to apply at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call