Woman rescued from Margaretting pub fire

A woman has been rescued by fire crews after becoming trapped on the first floor of a burning pub in Essex.

An emergency control operator managed to persuade the woman not to jump out of a window of the Red Lion pub in Margaretting near Ingatestone.

Firefighters brought her to safety using a ladder and she was treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation.

The fire started at the pub early on Thursday. The woman's life was saved by a smoke alarm, said the fire service.

'Vital early warning'

Station Officer Graeme Williams from Chelmsford Station said: "When 999 control received the call from the trapped woman, they remained on the telephone to her and kept her calm, as she wanted to jump out of the window away from the smoke and fire.

"The woman was asleep at the time of the fire and was woken up by her smoke alarm and called the fire service.

"The smoke alarm saved her life as it gave her that vital early warning that a fire had started and time to call 999 for help."

Mr Williams said the fire was believed to have started just after 0130 GMT after a tumble dryer caught fire.

The two storey building was badly smoke logged.