A family-of-five were today homeless after a fire raged through their ninth floor flat.

Mum Karen Fletcher returned home last night to find her fire alarm ringing and the sound of explosions coming from inside the high rise flat, in Pantile Avenue, Southend.

Homeless - Marley, eight, baby Charlie, one, mum Karen, and Jade, nine Picture: MIKE CLARKE

Two fire crews and an aerial ladder platform were sent to Temple Court and crews using breathing apparatus fought the flames.

Despite their efforts, the damage was so bad Mrs Fletcher, 27, had to spend the night at the Palace Hotel, in Pier Hill, Southend, with daughter Jade, nine, Marley, eight, and one-year-old Charlie.

Her two other sons, Taila , three, and Jordan, five, who returned from a trip to France last night, spent the night with their granddad on Canvey.

Mrs Fletcher, shaken by the destruction and face still smeared black from cleaning up her flat, told of her shock.

She said: "I came home at about 5.30pm and could hear lots of banging inside the flat. It sounded like the flat was blowing up.

"This is the fourth time my home has been on fire. When I used to live on Canvey we had three fires. I can't believe it has happened again."

Published Tuesday, April 15, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Echo