Arson fears over flats blaze.

Byline: GRAHAM HENRY

FIREFIGHTERS led terrified residents to safety through a smoke-filled building following a suspected arson attack.

Four people were trapped in their homes after fire starters torched rubbish in cupboards under a stairwell at a block of flats in Coxlodge, Newcastle, last night.

Fire crews were called to the building in Lambert Square just after 11pm.

When they arrived they found four people were inside the flats and the stairwell was filling with thick black smoke.

Firefighters from Gosforth Fire Station told two residents to remain in their homes before using ladders to rescue a 31-year-old man. Meanwhile Valerie Coulter, who is in her early 50s, was led to safety through the smoke. v

The cause of the blaze has still not been fully established but the fire service suspect arson.

This morning the block of flats was still being guarded by a police officer.

The stairwell was blackened and smelled strongly of smoke and a broken window could be seen on the first floor.

Valerie, who woke to find the building filled with smoke, told the Chronicle of her ordeal.

She said: "I was half asleep on the settee and I heard the door being smashed, and I heard voices shouting my name saying there was a fire.

"I opened the front door to try and get out but the smoke came gushing in. The firefighters at first said I would have to climb down the ladder but I was too scared.

"It was terrifying. My first thought was just to get out but they led me down the stairs once the fire was out."

Alan Paul, an officer at Gosforth Fire Station, said: "We were called to an incident in Lambert Square just after 11pm last night. The fire is being treated as malicious as we could not find anything to suggest that it was started by any electrical fault. One male had to be rescued with a ladder and one woman was guided out of the stairwell."