Student house fire

A fire broke out in a north Leamington student house last week, forcing the inhabitants to evacuate their home.

The emergency call alerting the fire brigade was made at 4.03am on the morning of Sunday 27 November, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service Press Office told the _Boar_.

The police and two fire crews were in attendance, with two firemen inside the building and a covering jet outside the house, which has been revealed as 1 Oxford Street in north Leamington Spa.

The job was not completed until 7.35am and residents of the entire block were evacuated.

The Police Press Office commented that investigations were still under way, but as far as they were concerned, the cause was not believed to be suspicious at this point.

Students’ Union Welfare Officer Izzy John advised the students to talk to the Student Advice Centre concerning any problems.

A spokesperson for the Leamington Spa Baptist Church confirmed that the police had asked for the students to be allowed into the church, as they were all stood on the street in pyjamas. The students then remained in the church, provided with tea and coffee, for three to four hours until they could return to their property.

An undergraduate living on the street commented: “The wall on the side of their house was blackened. I was concerned, though I couldn’t see any fire or smoke. We didn’t know what to do, and nobody knocked on our door, so we stayed indoors.”