FIRE crews were called to a fire at a property started by a poorly discarded cigarette.

Two crews from Witham and Chelmsford were called to the property in Hemmingway Road Witham at 12.45pm today, where a cigarette had caused the outside decking of the house to catch alight.

The firefighters used a hose reel jet to quickly extinguish the blaze.

Stuart Hay, Chelmsford Sub Officer, said: "A cigarette, which had not been put out properly, was discarded in a plastic pot the cigarette caught light to the nearby compost bag and back door.

"Incidents like this show how important it is to take extra care when disposing of smoking materials."

Smokers have been urged to follow the advice issued by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and ensure all cigarettes are fully extinguished before discarding.