A pensioner was trapped in her bedroom after a blaze broke out in her home.

The 69-year-old woman was rescued by firefighters as smoke billowed up the stairs.

One crew tackled the blaze at the house while another put a ladder up to her open window and stayed with her until the fire had been put out.

The fire started on the ground floor of the house in Kingwell Avenue, Clacton, and the woman retreated into her bedroom on the first floor. Sub officer Mick Warner said: "It was very fortunate the woman discovered the fire."

Crews arrived within two or three minutes. The woman had been shouting out of the window but there was no-one around to hear her cries for help.

Mr Warner said the woman suffered from arthritis and it was decided not to risk taking her back down the ladder. Firefighters treated her for smoke inhalation and waited for paramedics to arrive.

Mr Warner added: "She had a lucky escape and we could have been looking at far more serious consequences than we found when we got there."

The cause of the blaze is being treated as doubtful and a fire investigation team and police scenes of crime officers were due at the house on Friday.

Firefighters arrived at the property just after 9pm on Thursday night and took about ten minutes to put out the fire.

Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area at about 9pm last night and saw anything suspicious to contact them on 01255 221312.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested and was due to be questioned at Clacton police station on Friday.

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