FIREFIGHTERS rescued three people after a blaze broke out in a Southampton tower block.

Two of the victims were girls who were trying to save a man trapped in his flat by the blaze. All three were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

The drama began yesterday afternoon when three bags of rubbish caught fire in the fifth-floor lobby of St James's House, Orchard Lane.

About 17 firefighters were called to the scene of the fire and six wore breathing apparatus to extinguish the blaze in the smoke-filled hallway and save the occupant and the two girls, aged 15 and 16.

Police and fire investigators are trying to establish how it started.

St Mary's Station Officer Steve Pegler said: "The lobby was heavily smoke-logged when we arrived and the occupant was in his flat.

"The man and the two girls were led to safety from the flat and the lobby area by the fire service.

"Rubbish had caught fire between two of the front doors on the lobby, although the other flat is unoccupied."

Ashley Agrella, 15, who lives in the block, said the man shouted from his balcony for him to call the fire service.

The teenager added: "He could not get out so I dialled 999 while the two girls went up to see what they could do.

"When I got up there they were trying to open the doors of the lobby so I gave the one who suffers from asthma my baseball cap to put over her mouth and nose.

"The place was full of black smoke and the man could not get out of his flat because the rubbish was outside his door."

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