FIREFIGHTERS in Darlington say an incident in the town yesterday has again highlighted the need for properties to be fitted with smoke alarms.

The fire, which is being treated as suspected arson, took hold in a flat in St Cuthberts Place, near Cleveland Avenue, yesterday morning. Smoke affected two neighbouring flats and a communal stairwell.

Sub Officer Brett Clayton, of Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The fire itself was quite extensive and the flat was severely smoke damaged throughout.

"At one stage we thought there was somebody inside. We had four firefighters and the smoke made their job harder to the extent that it took 15 to 20 minutes to confirm there was nobody there."

Sub Officer Clayton said: "There was no smoke alarm in the area or individual flats, and that would have given extra warning, rather than being alerted at the stage we were."

Alarms will be on sale at £3 each at the station's free open day on Saturday, from 10am to 4pm.

Proceeds from the sales will go to the Fire Service Benevolent Fund, but following the terrrorist attack in America, a proportion will go to the New York Fire Brigade.