A newspaper in Northumbria says local police are treating a fire at a lettings agency as a deliberate arson attack.

Police are probing the fire at the Red Ridge lettings agency following the blaze on Friday evening. 

The Northumbria Chronicle reports that flames were seen at 7pm in the back yard of the agency before spreading to much of the premises and the flats upstairs.

“Huge flames and thick black smoke could be seen billowing above buildings on the Newcastle street as four fire engines and an aerial ladder platform arrived to put the blaze out” the report reads.

A police spokesman is reported as saying: “At around 6.58pm on Friday police received a report of a fire on Heaton Park Road, Newcastle. Emergency services attended and the fire was extinguished. Nobody was injured. Inquiries are ongoing. Police are treating the incident as suspected arson.”

The press article also quotes an anonymous resident saying: “I had just got back from work and was watching Netflix when my fire alarm started going off. When I walked into my bedroom, which is directly next to the business, the heat hit you immediately. The fire was so hot it was emanating through the brick wall.

“I realised it was next door and then people started banging on my door telling me to get out and I rang 999.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1014 220618 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.