Frightened residents had to be rescued from a block of flats in Bulkington yesterday after flames filled the stairwell.

People on the upper floors of the three-storey building in Winterton Road were unable to escape as the flames ravaged through the building at 2.15pm.

One woman was rescued by a neighbour Andrew Flanagan, who rushed a ladder to the window when he saw her crying for help.

Fire crews from Bedworth, Nuneaton and Foleshill in Coventry also were called to help with the rescue operation, as it was not clear how many people were in the flats.

One other person had to be rescued by ladder from the front of the building, and two others were saved from the rear.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus had to break down the doors of flats in the building to make sure that no-one was trapped inside.

Two of the flats were found to be empty and everyone was accounted for.

Those who were saved were treated by fire and ambulance crews for minor smoke inhalation and shock. No-one needed hospital treatment.

The people from the flats were given help by the Fire Support Unit as they began the hunt for somewhere else to stay.

The fire started in ground-floor storage room at the bottom of the communal stairs and quickly spread up the stairwell.

It took fire crews an hour to bring the flames under control. Investigations into its cause are still continuing, but police said they were treating it as suspicious.