ACTION has been taken to prevent a house which was gutted by fire from collapsing.

Firefighters rushed to the end-of-terrace property in Oakland Road, Dovercourt after a blaze took hold in June last year.

Crews left after getting the fire under control but were later called back when the property caught alight again.

Now Tendring Council has stepped in and told contractors to put up scaffolding around the building.

Work has been undertaken to place a temporary roof on the property to prevent rain getting in and causing further damage.

The adjoining footpath has also been closed for safety reasons.

All the works have been carried out by the council under the Dangerous Structure Provisions of the Building Act 1984.

They were completed with the owner’s agreement until such time as repairs can get under way.

A spokesman for the council said: “It was decided there was a potential of collapse and therefore we instructed contractors to put up the scaffolding while the issues with the insurers are sorted out.”