Woman dyeing hair 'catches fire'

A woman's hair caught fire when she lit a cigarette while dyeing her locks a different colour.

Firefighters were called to help the woman at Shoe Lane in Westcliff, near Southend, Essex.

She suffered burns and received initial treatment at the scene by ambulance crews, who took the victim to hospital for treatment.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service said they believed the woman had been smoking, which caused her hair to burn.

Crews made sure the house was safe before leaving the woman in the care of ambulance workers following the incident, which happened just after 0100 GMT on Thursday.