The scene of a fire in which a person is believed to have died remains cordoned off today.

Emergency services were called to the blaze in Demesne Road at around 4am yesterday, and police are treating the incident as suspicious.

Local residents were rescued from their homes and fire crews battled for several hours to put out the flames.

No further details have been released about the victim.

Eight police officers spent the night in Demesne Road, with several at either end of the cordon, and at the rear of the fire damaged property.

Two other properties in nearby Peveril Street and Clarke Street are also being guarded by police.

Les Doyle, who lives four houses away from where the fire took hold, arrived at his flat early yesterday morning, after a night out.

Neighbours have told him there was some commotion behind the property around time the blaze started: