A woman is fighting for her life today after suffering severe burns in a fire which ripped through her flat in the early hours of this morning.

The fire brigade were called to the flat in Turnstone Close in Plaistow at just after 2am. Ten fire fighters and two fire engines attended the blaze which was brought under control at 3am.

The woman was initially taken to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel with more than 50 per cent burns to her arms, chest, face and legs. She was then transferred to a specialist burns unit at the Broomfield Hospital in Essex. It is understood her injuries are life threatening.

The cause of the fire, which virtually destroyed the flat, is under investigation. It is being treated as suspicious.

Martin Knight, watch manager, said: “The blaze caused very severe damage to the property. Our crews did well in what was a challenging fire.”