ESSEX Firefighters were called to reports of a fire at Potter Street Academy on Tuesday morning.

On arrival at Carters Mead, crews reported that a fire was burning on one side of a single-storey classroom, which measures around 20 square metres.

The classroom was completely smoke logged and smoke had also spread to the corridor area and surrounding classrooms.

No pupils were in the classroom at the time of the fire.

Crews were able to extinguish the fire by 11.27am, before clearing the premises of smoke using positive pressure ventilation fans.

Firefighters worked hard to ensure the damage to the school premises was kept to a minimum, but several rooms have been smoke damaged.

The fire was caused accidentally after a laptop charger ignited.