A motorbike was set on fire during an arson attack at a block of flats in Halstead.

The vehicle was wheeled into a communal stairwell and set on fire.

Residents at the three storey block in Trinity Court, Halstead, were told to "stay put" by firefighters.

Three crews raced to the scene shortly after midnight this morning.

A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: "Residents in a block of flats are all safe after following 'stay put' high rise fire safety advice

"ECFRS's Control team received around ten calls to a fire in a three storey block of flats in Trinity Court, Halstead, and were told that people were inside the building.

"Three crews were immediately sent to the incident and reported that there was thick black smoke in the stairwell which would have made it very difficult for residents to use the fire escape.

"A small number of ground floor residents had already made their way outside and firefighters told all remaining residents to follow 'stay put' procedures by remaining inside their flats while crews tackled the fire."

Crews were able to extinguish the motorbike after about an hour.

It is not yet known why anybody would deliberately put so many lives in danger but the incident is being investigated.

Fire commander Lee Lucas said: "The fire was caused by a motorcycle which had been left in the ground floor stairwell and set alight.

"As the tyres began to burn it produced a thick black smoke which made visibility inside the building's stairwell impossible.

"Residents on the upper floors of the building did the right thing by following our 'stay put' advice for high rise buildings which kept them safe within their homes."

The stairwell has been damaged by the smoke.

Two people suffered smoke inhalation and were left in the care of the ambulance service.