A North East block of flats was evacuated late last night after it was found to not meet fire safety requirements.

Dozens of residents living at Dawson House in Billingham were forced out of their homes last night (September 5) by the council after the building failed to meet inspection standards.

A routine check found that smoke would not have been able to be effectively extracted from the building in case of a fire, posing a risk.

Residents have now been asked to find accommodation elsewhere including in hotels whilst works begin - which could take up to five days.

Thirteen’s chief executive Matt Forrest said: “At Thirteen, we take our responsibility to provide safe, high-quality homes for each and every one of our customers extremely seriously.

“Following planned checks, undertaken as we prepare for future investment at Dawson House, we were alerted to the risk that we may not be able to safely extract all of the smoke from the emergency exits from the building, in the event of a fire.

“We will never knowingly allow our customers to live in a property where there is any risk of this kind, however small, and so, we’ve taken the difficult decision to evacuate all of our customers living in Dawson House, as a precaution, while we carry out work, initially over the next few days, to ensure we address the risks that have been identified.

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“We’re supporting our customers throughout this time, providing comfortable accommodation, and we’ve set up dedicated support lines, should they need to speak to a member of the team at any time.

“We understand this is disruptive, but it is absolutely necessary, and we are extremely grateful to our customers for their patience during this time.”

Stockton Borough Council has been contacted for more information.