TEN people were rescued after smoking materials caused a fire in a block of flats.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue crews were called to Belmont Court in Glen Road, Poole just before 8.15am yesterday.

Four fire crews from Poole, Westbourne and Redhill Park, along with an aerial ladder platform from Westbourne, attended and tackled the fire, which was in a second floor flat.

One room was affected by fire and the flat was affected throughout by smoke.

A fire service spokesman said: "Eight breathing apparatus wearers, with two hose reel jets and two main jets, entered the building, extinguished the fire, searched the whole property and assisted 10 people to safety.

"The occupant of the affected flat was checked over by the ambulance service at the scene but did not need to go to hospital. The stop came at 9.24am. The fire started accidentally and was smoking related."