AN elderly couple was forced to dash to safety after an early-morning blaze broke out in their Clacton home.

The single-storey property in Castlehill retirement park, off London Road, was engulfed in flames at about 3.45am on Wednesday.

Firefighters were called and managed to extinguish the blaze within an hour.

The home was left badly damaged, but the couple managed to escape unharmed.

Sub officer Ben Turner, from Clacton fire station said: “The elderly couple had woken up and turned a light on which tripped out the electrics in their house.

“When they opened their electric cupboard to check the fuses they found it on fire.

“They immediately evacuated the property which was exactly the right thing to do.

"When we arrived the property was approximately 25 per cent alight and was full of smoke.

“We managed to extinguish the fire quickly and stopped it from spreading from the two neighbouring properties which were attached.

“The property is badly damaged by the fire and smoke and so the couple will not be able to live there for a little while.”