FIVE people were led to safety after a fire started in a block of flats.

A first floor utility room was gutted in the blaze thought to have been started by a dumped cigarette end, which ignited a bag of rubbish.

There was 50 per cent smoke logging to five of the six flats in the block at Wrynose Gardens, Stockton.

Mick Pennick, watch manager with Cleveland Fire Brigade at Stockton, said all the flats were fitted with smoke resistant doors, but the flats quickly filled with smoke when residents threw open their windows.

"There was so much smoke coming off the fire it went into their rooms, through the open windows. It was a real coughy smoke,'' said Mr Pennick.

Three middle aged people were led to safety from one flat, and two people in their 20s, from another.

The fire occurred late Sunday night, but firefighters were back at the flats this morning to give fire safety advice - while a street cleaning team from Stockton Council removed a pile of rubbish found stacked at the back of the block of flats.

Mr Pennick said: "You should stick your rubbish in a wheelie bin and put that out for collection on the set pick up day.''