A LIGHTNING strike caused a fire which has completely destroyed the roof of a pub in Holland-on-Sea.

Seven fire crews from Clacton, Weeley, Frinton, Colchester, Wivenhoe, and Brightlingsea attended the Oakwood Inn pub on Tuesday morning after the roof caught alight in the middle of a thunderstorm.

The emergency call, which is the third ECFRS has received since stormy weather moved in towards Essex at the weekend, came through at 9.47am on Tuesday after residents inside the pub heard the lightning strike the roof.

Half of the roof was on fire by the time the fire crews arrived, with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) using a drone to locate specific hotspots in the fire before extinguishing them.

An official statement from the ECFRS said the pub was left uninhabitable after the roof was completely destroyed.

Crew manager Darren Tappenden, from Clacton Fire Station, said: “Crews worked quickly to get this fire under control to prevent it spreading further into the pub.

“This is the third incident we’ve seen since the stormy weather over the weekend and while we can’t prevent incidents like these, we would advise you act quickly when there’s a fire in your home.

“You need to get out as quickly and safely as you can, stay out and call 999.”