A FIRE broke out during renovation work at a Chinese restaurant.

Two fire crews were called to the Peking Palace on Harwich Road, Colchester, just before 12.20pm on Friday.

A hose reel jet was used to stop the fire spreading withing the wall cavity of the restaurant and it was extinguished within approximately half an hour.

A ventilation fan was used to clear smoke from the restaurant.

Station officer Pete Donovan, from Colchester Fire Station, praised his staff for their efforts to stop the fire getting out of control. 

He said:  “Firefighters worked quickly in preventing the fire spreading further up the wall cavity.

"The restaurant is a timber building and the fire could have easily spread further if crews had not reacted so promptly.

“The Peking Palace is undergoing some restoration work and a heat gun was used.

"We believe felt within the wall cavity overheated, igniting the fire."