Three children were taken to hospital afer inhaling smoke from a fire in their home early Sunday morning.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze at the house in Westborough Road, Westcliff, which was caused by a storage heater being blocked.

Sub officer Carl White of Leigh Fire Station said: "The children's condition was not serious but they were coughing quite a bit so they were taken to Southend Hospital as a precaution."

For further details see Monday's Evening Echo.

Published Sunday, March 3, 2002