A FLAT fire in which a man had to smash his way out is being treated as suspicious, police have said.

Emergency services were called to the blaze involving a flat above the One Stop in Jewell Road, Bournemouth, shortly after 1am on Saturday, July 13.

As previously reported, Katherine Thorburn said her 22-year-old brother who has autism and lives with his father in the flat but was alone at the time, had to break a window to get out.

Police attended along with the fire service and during the height of the incident, 25 firefighters were tackling the blaze. 

A Dorset Police spokesperson said: “One occupant of the property was taken to hospital, their condition was not believed to be serious and they have since been discharged.

“Enquiries into the incident are ongoing to establish the cause of the fire, which is being treated as suspicious.”

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said the investigation into the cause is ongoing.

Fire crews attended from Springbourne, Redhill, Christchurch, Poole, Hamworthy and Westbourne) along with the Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) from Westbourne.