Hockley: Four people rescued from burning building

Firefighters were called to the blaze at a building on Soho Hill, Birmingham, on Tuesday

Four people have been rescued from a burning building by firefighters in Birmingham.

West Midlands Fire Service was called at about 04:45 GMT to the site on Soho Hill in Hockley, where the building's second floor was ablaze.

By 08:30 GMT, the number of firefighters was reduced from 50 to 35, the brigade said.

A spokesperson for the service said only "pockets of fire remained" at the disused, three-storey property.

No information was released about any injuries the four people might have suffered.

Concerns over the building's stability meant Soho Hill was expected to remain closed between Michael's Road and Soho Avenue for the rest of Tuesday.

Earlier, residents were told to shut their doors and windows but the warning was since lifted.

The fire service said three-quarters of the building was damaged by the blaze and a structural engineer remained on site as the property was deemed to be unsafe.

The cause of the fire was yet to be established.