Devizes flats fire: Woman dies in suspected arson attack

At its height, 35 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze at the flats

A woman in her 50s has died following a fire at a block of flats that police are treating as arson.

Eight others - including a five-year-old child - were also hurt but did not require hospital treatment.

The fire began in a communal area of the flats on Waiblingen Way, Devizes, at 01:00 GMT and was put out by 02:25.

A local man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of murder. A cordon is likely to be in place for a number of days, police said.

The man has been taken to custody in Melksham for further questioning.

The woman was taken to Swindon's Great Western Hospital in a critical condition due to smoke inhalation, but died on Tuesday afternoon.

Wiltshire Police said her family had been informed.

Asst Insp Pete Foster urged caution over speculation on social media about what happened.

"I know there will be speculation around the cause of this fire following a series of small fires in the area back in the summer," he said.

"I would like to stress the importance of not speculating or naming individuals, and allowing officers to conduct a thorough and timely investigation."