A FACTORY was evacuated after a machine started giving off fumes.

Six crews from Colchester, Coggeshall, Halstead and Rayleigh Weir, were called to Earls Colne Business Park, in Earls Colne, at 12.18pm.

The were called after reports of fumes in a building.

The fire service sent four fire engines plus the Hazmat vehicle which carries specialist equipment to safely deal with incidents involving hazardous materials.

The building was evacuated while crews made the scene safe.

The fumes were found to be coming from a machine which is used to heat bottles on a conveyer belt.

The heater had melted the plastic inside the section of machine which had caused the fumes.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to ventilate the affected area.

Two people who were affected by the fumes suffered breathing difficulties and were taken to Colchester General Hospital while four others received treatment at the scene.

Fire crews made the area safe and left the scene at 2:10pm.