A man was rescued from a maisonette fire in Stratford on Tuesday.

A motorist who was driving along Leytonstone Road, spotted smoke coming out of a first floor window, and raised the alarm.

Emergency services were called to the property, which is located above a row of shops, at about 4.10am.

Firefighters climbed through a first floor window and rescued a man they found in a bedroom.

Firefighter, Neil Skipper, said: “This man had a lucky escape as his home did not have a working smoke alarm.

“Having a working smoke alarm is essential. Every home should have at least one, and it should be tested regularly.

“Smoke alarms provide a vital early warning and buy you extra time to escape if there is a fire. Luckily this fire was spotted by a passer-by, but the outcome could have much more serious.”

A bedroom on the first floor was partly damaged by the blaze.

Two fire crews from Stratford and Plaistow were able to bring the blaze under control by about 4.50am.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.