Firefighters have dealt with a fire at a sheltered housing complex in Lowestoft.

Emergency services were called to Alexandra Road just after 12pm today - amid reports that people may be trapped inside a burning building.

A spokesman for Suffolk police has now confirmed there was no-one inside the building and no-one was injured.

She said officers did attend Runnymede Court, a sheltered housing apartment block run by Hanover Housing Association, to assist firefighters.

'We were contacted by fire service at 12.11pm after reports of flat fire and possibly people trapped,' said the spokesman.

'St Peters Street and Artillery Way were closed to facilitate the fire brigade.

'No one was inside the property and there were no casualties at all.'

The fire was reported by a 20-year-old woman taking her daughter to a nearby doctors surgery.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I could see smoke coming from the building's windows and a lick of flame coming from the side. We then heard the sound of a window falling out.

'The fire brigade and police arrived quickly.'

The scene was cleared about 12.40pm.