Independent new and second hand furniture business Second Chance Furniture has been the victim of an arson attack.

The fire broke out at the rear of the store, which is situated on High Street in Clacton-on-Sea, on Sunday 8 October, with firefighters from the Essex County Fire & Rescue Service attending the scene at around 11:24pm. The fire was extinguished by 12:29am.

Watch Manager Simon Tarrant said: “There was a lot of unsafe storage at the back of the building which had caught alight.

“The crews did a great job at extinguishing the fire quickly, as the flames were high and starting to reach neighbouring flats.

“Unfortunately, the shop has been left with significant smoke damage. A fire investigation was carried out following the incident and we believe the fire was started deliberately.”

The owner has confirmed that the front of the store and main building areas escaped damage but it was very close to the building being completely destroyed if it wasn’t for the quick response of the fire service.

Furthermore, the business said that all orders will continue to be processed.