A MAN was taken to hospital this morning after leaping from the window of a first floor flat as fire raged downstairs.

The ground floor of a Magdalen Road flat in Hadleigh was gutted by a blaze that broke out just after 2am.

Firefighters from Hadleigh and Princes Street were called to the scene, along with an ambulance amid concerns that people were trapped inside the flat by flames.

Support from Nayland and Woodbridge fire crews was soon called in as the fire spread through the ground floor of a three-storey building divided into five flats.

One male occupant jumped from the first floor as smoke rose through the building, making it difficult to breath.

The 32-year-old was taken to hospital with a head injury and fracture along with another casualty - a 26-year-old woman - as firefighters continued to tackle the flames.

Using breathing gear, they were able to bring the blaze under control just before 3am and ventilate the rest of the property.

A building control officer was called in later to check the safety of the structure and a thermal imaging camera used to ensure the flames had been fully extinguished.

The fire service are not treating the incident as suspicious at this stage.

Did you witness the blaze? Call the news desk on 01473 324788.