THE full drama of yesterday's fuel tanker fire at Sadler's Farm roundabout which took eight crews of firefighters to tackle, is captured in these dramatic pictures from Essex Fire and Rescue.

The Hoyer taker, carrying jet fuel, caught fire around 5pm yesterday (Wednesday, 1 June) and the incident, which saw nearby residents told to shut windows and doors, took several hours to deal with.

The heat of the blaze caused substantial damage to the immediate road infrastructure and repairs today will mean more delays for motorists in the area around the Canvey Way entry and exit from the island.

The fire service's area director, Neil Fenwick, said "I'd like to thank the public for being supportive while our crews worked to put the fire out this evening. I'd also like to thank Essex Police and East of England Ambulance Service for their cooperation at the scene. Incidents of this nature really demonstrate the importance of close working relationships between emergency services.

"I'd also like to praise our fantastic control team, who have taken more than 60 calls relating to the fuel fire alone. They're the first port of call when the public call 999 and they've worked tirelessly this evening to keep Essex safe."