A FIREFIGHTER was hurt while tackling a house fire on Teesside.

Firefighter Stephen Suggitt received burns to his neck while dealing with an intense blaze which wrecked a first floor town centre flat.

Neighbours were roused by the sound of the windows of the three-storey block in Haffron Avenue, Stockton, exploding in the intense heat of the blaze.

An investigation was later launched to establish the cause of the fire in the empty block.

Mr Suggitt, whose brother, Tony, is also in Cleveland Fire Brigade, received hospital treatment for his injuries, which were described as minor.

Flames had been shooting out of the rear windows and Station Officer Terry Reddington said: "it was a very urgent access requirement.''

Because the building was locked, entry had to be forced. Two teams of firefighters went into the building.

The person who lived there arrived back at her home while they were tackling the blaze.