No major fire-related incidents have taken place yet this morning as crews went on strike.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union went on strike between 6am and 8am this morning and plan to strike again later between 5pm and 7pm.

A fire service spokesman said: "Essex has strong resilience arrangements in place to protect the county and you should continue to dial 999 in an emergency and working Essex firefighters will respond.

"You can help us to help you during periods of reduced fire cover by being Safer, Slower and more Vigilant.

"Businesses, remember to follow up on automatic alarms with a phone call.

"This is a national dispute between the FBU and Government over planned pension changes."