Fire investigators were yesterday expected to pinpoint the cause of a massive farm blaze which left two horses dead.

Forensic experts spent the day sifting through the debris of the fire at Hovells Farm near the Five Bells roundabout in Basildon.

They said it was too early to say whether a smouldering pile of manure had caused the inferno, as suspected.

Fire ripped through a straw-packed barn and stables in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

More than 35 hero firefighters from across south Essex battled to bring the blaze under control and led ten horses, trapped in nearby stables, to safety.

However, the crews could not save the lives of two horses locked in a stable adjoining the barn.

Firefighters at the scene of the blaze originally pointed the finger at a smouldering pile of manure near the barn as the cause of the disaster.

However, a spokesman for Essex Fire Service said investigations were incomplete.

Sub-officer Gary Jeffery, of Southend fire station, said yesterday: "Fire investigators and forensic teams will continue their investigations today.

"There was talk about manure causing the fire but it is too early to say for sure."

Fire crews from Basildon, Hadleigh, Leigh and Orsett tackled the blaze, which started at 1.30am on Wednesday. One lane of the A13 was shut for four hours after a massive cloud of smoke engulfed the road.

About 12 stables on the farm were rented out to horse owners. Firefighters faced the arduous task of battling to save the horses while tackling the intense blaze.

They managed to douse the stables with water while their colleagues led the horses to safety.

A vet said the two horses that could not be saved probably died painlessly.

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