Child and pensioner among people trapped inside burning Gosport flat

Neighbours watched on in horror as the first floor flat in Jervis Drive became engulfed in flames just before midnight '“ with the exit blocked as the blaze swelled over the front door.

But a quick-thinking resident in the three storey apartment block leapt into action and tackled the fire single-handedly with a fire extinguisher while waiting for fire crews to turn up.

Three of the people inside the flat were then evacuated '“ with a female pensioner having already escaped after jumping out of the window three metres to the ground.

Many of the other residents in the block self-evacuated, though some remained inside their flats until the fire was put out.

By the time Gosport fire crew had turned up five minutes after receiving the call, the fire was out. Along with crews from Fareham and Porchester, they tackled the smoke that was pouring out of the block.

Two of the people were taken to hospital with possible smoke inhalation.

Gosport watch manager Sean Ratcliffe said: '˜A neighbour tackled the fire which was out by the time we turned up. There was a lot of smoke in the flat which we tackled. Two of the people were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation.'

A joint police and fire investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.