Residents rescued from Lancashire flats fire

Seventeen people were led to safety by firefighters following an arson attack at a block of flats in Lancashire.

The fire broke out at Cedar Court, a three-storey block of flats in East Street, Leyland, just before 0400 BST.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said smoke was billowing from the upper floors and residents were shouting from windows when firefighters arrived.

Nine people were taken to hospital but no-one is believed to have been seriously hurt.

The fire service said one flat and the second-floor landing were well alight and three other flats were heavily smoke-logged.

The fire is believed to have been started deliberately and a joint police and fire investigation is now under way to establish the cause of the fire.

Anyone with any information is being urged to contact Leyland Police.