Five people were rescued after a huge fire ripped through a building in Barnsbury’s Samuel Lewis Estate.

Six fire engines and 35 firefighters were called to the estate, near Liverpool Road’s junction with Offord Road, at 4.46am on Saturday.

They rescued one woman and two children from the third floor using a ladder. Another man and woman were led to safety using an internal staircase.

They were all taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews as a precaution. The fire was under control two hours later, just before 7am.

A flat on the second floor was completely damaged by the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Jerome Kumedzina, a fire official at the scene, said: “Thankfully a smoke alarm sounded alerting a woman to a fire in her flat so she had an early warning and was able to call the brigade.

“This fire broke out early in the morning, without the alarm the fire could have easily spread undetected.

“There is no doubt that without the vital combination of the smoke alarm and the quick work of firefighters this story could have had a very different ending.

“Everyone should have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and the safest option is have those linked together. This will give the earliest warning if there is a fire in your home.”