FIREFIGHTERS were called to a blaze at a house in Felixstowe where a man had earlier barricaded himself in at the property.

FIREFIGHTERS were called to a blaze at a house in Felixstowe where a man had earlier barricaded himself in at the property.

Today a 23-year-old man was in police custody after being arrested at the incident on suspicion of arson.

The drama happened in High Road West, Walton, at tea-time last night after police were called to a domestic incident at the two-storey end terrace house.

Neighbours said a man was refusing to come out of the house and was breaking items inside.

Relatives of the man tried talking to him and the police were called about 4.20pm to deal with the situation.

At about 4.50pm, smoke was seen coming from the front downstairs room - used as a bedroom - of the house and two fire crews from Felixstowe attended. It is understood a mattress had been set alight.

Firefighters found the room was well alight on arrival, though the man had come out of the house by that stage.

High Road West was sealed off from Recreation Lane to Seaton Road and emergency services stayed on the scene for more than two hours.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that a man had been arrested and was being held in custody at Ipswich Police Station. Investigations were continuing into the incident.

One neighbour said: “The man had barricaded himself into the property but we don't really know why or what was going on.

“The police were here talking to his family and trying to get him to come out.”

Neighbours said the two-bed rented house was occupied by a couple and their two sons. No-one was at home today.

Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus used a hose to extinguish the fire and a thermal imaging camera to check the property.

Meanwhile a family in Stowmarket had to be given oxygen therapy after a grill pan caught fire in their kitchen.

Fire crews were called to the incident in Spencer Way, on the Chilton Hall estate, at 5.25pm to reports of a cooker fire.

On their arrival they discovered the kitchen area of the house was completely full of smoke and an ambulance was called after it was discovered some members of the household had breathed in the fumes.

The father of the family, who did not want to be named, said they were all well now and they would have to begin the process of dealing with the damage.

Samantha Whomes, who lives a few doors away from the affected property, said: “I saw the fire engines pull up outside the house here. They have two little girls and I saw the windows were open but I did not see what happened. They (emergency services) were here about an hour.”

Fire crews from Stowmarket were called - but the fire was put out before they arrived.