Three people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a suspected arson attack on a North East street early this morning.
Emergency services attended a flat fire today (16 January) on Vicarage Street, North Shields at 3:25am, which has left three people in hospital with serious injuries.
A cordon has since been put in place on Waterville Road, with the road between the junction with Howdon Road and Cardonnel Street closed.
Northumbria Police have now launched an investigation into the incident which is being treated as suspected arson.
Read more: LIVE: Three rushed to hospital after North Shields flat fire
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Police have launched an investigation following a report of a house fire in North Shields.
"Shortly before 3.45am today (Monday) police received a request for assistance from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, who were in attendance at an address on Vicarage Street.
"Officers and emergency services attended the scene and three people were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
"Due to concerns over the safety of the property, a number of residents were also evacuated and have been taken to a reception centre.
"A cordon is in place and at this time, Waterville Road is closed between the junction with Howdon Road and Cardonnel Street, with closures are expected to remain in place for some time.
"An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire, and at this early stage it is being treated as a suspected arson."
Read more: Residents left furious after Darlington's Northgate bus stop smashed
Meanwhile, police have remained in the area as they carry out enquiries and reassure residents.
Adding to this, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) have confirmed three people "self-rescued" before being taken to hospital.
A TWFRS spokesperson said: “At 3:25am this morning (Monday), our Fire Control received a call about a flat fire on Vicarage Street in North Shields.
“Five crews from across Tyne and Wear and our Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) were on the scene to extinguish the fire in a matter of minutes.
“Upon our arrival, three people had already self-rescued from the property and were later taken to hospital.
“Due to concerns over the safety of the property, a number of residents were also evacuated and have been taken to a reception centre set up with the assistance of the local authority.
“The fire has since been extinguished but our crews will remain at the scene with a cordon in place."
This comes after reports of representatives from Northern Gas Networks attending the scene, but later confirming there was no issue on their end.
Earlier today, a North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) spokesperson confirmed they had deployed ambulances to the area, and three people had been taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
They said: "We received a call this morning at 03:27 to a private address in the Waterville Road area of North Shields.
Read next:
- Darlington FC: Fan banned for 12 months for misogynistic abuse
- Durham Police: Adorable video shows little boy leading police patrol
- LIVE: North East hit by Met Office yellow weather warning - updates
If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here
"We sent three emergency ambulance crews, a clinical team leader, a duty officer and four Hazardous Area Response Teams.
"Three patients have been taken to a local hospital for further treatment."
Police are appealing for anyone who might have information about the fire, asking they get in touch via the ‘Tell us Something’ page on our website, or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20230116-0067.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here