Firework blamed for £1m blaze

A stray firework is today thought to have started a £1 million blaze at Southend airport in which two planes and an aircraft hangar were destroyed.

The firework smashed through the roof of the hangar close to the airport's security fence on Saturday night. Pilots coming into land alerted the fire brigade as a huge blaze lit up the skyline.

A £750,000 twin-engine cargo plane made of magnesium alloy disintegrated in the intense heat.

The plane is believed to have been recently been bought in Tobago by an East End businessman. A second plane made of wood was destroyed.

Three fire engines and a hydraulic platform were used to fight the fire which took more than an hour to bring under control.