Two men were rescued from a hostel fire in East Ham in the early hours of this morning.

Firefighters from East Ham, Barking and Stratford stations were called to the two storey building on Barking Road at 3.48am, and the fire was under control just over an hour later.

A man and a woman had already left the property before crews arrived but all four were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.

Watch manager Paul Baker, who was at the scene, said: “Crews were faced with a severe fire which had smashed the downstairs windows due to the intensity of the blaze.

“Firefighters quickly got into breathing apparatus and rescued a man from the ground and another man from the first floor via the internal staircase.”

The fire badly damaged the ground floor of the building and the cause is under investigation.