WATCH: Two people and two cats rescued from block of flats on fire in Wellingborough

Firefighters rushed to the scene of a four-storey block of flats on fire in Wellingborough town centre earlier this afternoon (September 21).

Crews from Wellingborough, Rushden and Irthlingborough as well as an aerial pump from Moulton were called to the fire in Midland Road at 10.35am and, on arrival, found smoke billowing from the roof of the four-storey block of flats.

Northamptonshire Police were requested to attend the scene and manage cordoning off the area while crews tackled the blaze. The fire was in two of the flats within the block, and firefighters used four breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets and a safety jet to try and contain the spread.

A spokesman for the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Two people were led to safety from the flats, while two cats were also rescued. Although good progress was being made with internal firefighting, the fire did breach the external roof at the rear of the property.

"To tackle this, the crews used the combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) from Moulton and an ultra-high-pressure lance and at 12.37pm the fire was extinguished, but crews continued to use a hose reel jet to damp down the scene."

Crews remain at the scene to undergo an initial fire investigation to determine the cause of the fire and to continue monitoring hotspots at the scene.