Eleven people, including five children and a baby, were rescued from a fire above a shop.

The blaze broke out at 2am in Belgrave Road, Cranbrook, near Wanstead Park.

Before firefighters arrived, emergency call operators instructed a man to block a door with a blanket and open a window as the group tried to avoid the flames taking hold in a ground floor shop and part of the first floor.

A ladder was used to reach the group through windows and lead them to safety.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

The fire above the shop in Belgrave Road (Picture: London Fire Brigade)

Station manager Lee Ware, who was at the scene, said: “Control officers did a great job keeping them calm and giving them life saving instructions while we arrived.

“Understandably, they were terrified as smoke was entering the room they were sheltering in.

“On arrival, crews were faced with a well developed fire which looks as if it may have been burning in the shop below for some time. 

"Firefighters assisted eleven people from first floor windows via ladders."

All eleven people were taken to hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.