A large blaze has ripped through a nightclub, a fire service spokesman said.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to the blaze at the Sugar Hut club in Brentwood at 7.30pm yesterday.

A spokesman said 10 appliances attended the scene, where a large section of the building and roof was well alight.

Police cordoned off the High Street while fire crews tackled the blaze.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "One member of staff has been taken to hospital suffering from minor smoke inhalation. Everyone else is out of the building."

Incident commander, Assistant Divisional Officer Steve Reynolds said the fire was extinguished at 10.39pm.

He said: "Firefighters have worked excellently this evening tackling the fire at the Sugar Hut nightclub.

"Staff had been getting ready to open for the evening when the fire started. The staff were safely evacuated from the 500-year- old listed building before fire crews had arrived.

"The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage, ECFRS and the police will be carrying out an investigation."

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