Boy, 10, arrested after fire at block of flats

A ten-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire at a block of flats that caused 50 people to be evacuated.

The fire at Rynet Court on Marsh House Lane, Warrington broke out at about 17:20 BST on Monday, and firefighters from across Cheshire and Manchester were called to try to bring the blaze under control.

A joint investigation into the cause of the fire, which flat residents described as "terrifying", has been launched by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire Police

The boy who was arrested on suspicion of arson has since been bailed pending further inquiries, a spokesman for the force said.

Thomas Harris and his family were safely rescued from the blaze, while one woman said she had had to pass her six-year-old son to safety from her first floor window.

Mr Harris, who has lived on the second floor in the block of flats for five years, said he was shocked to see smoke in the stairwell.

Det Insp David Schofield from Cheshire Police said: "I'd like thank residents for their patience throughout the night while emergency services dealt with the incident."

A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman added: "A total of 50 people had been rescued from the building, including through the windows and balconies of the third and fourth floor.

"North West Ambulance Service triaged and treated those rescued on the scene and thankfully no serious injuries have been reported," he added.

A nearby Territorial Army centre was opened up as a relief centre to house the 50 residents evacuated from the second, third and fourth floors of the flats.

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