A TEMPORARY rest centre has been set up for residents unable to get back into their homes after a fire in a block of flats in Hendon this afternoon.

Acrid smoke filled the hallways of Longford Court on the Belle Vue Estate after the flames broke out in a fourth-floor flat at about 1.45pm.

No-one was inside the family home, which has been badly damaged by the flames, but residents are unable to get into the building whilst firefighters carry out safety checks.

Barnet Homes, which owns the block, has set up the temporary centre in Chashire Hall, Foster Street, for anyone affected by the incident.

Debbie Eyers, who lives on the 11th floor of the Barnet Homes owned block near Bell Lane, said she spotted the flames as she was coming home from shopping.

She told the Times Series: “I saw the smoke coming out of the building and just called my son and told him to call the fire brigade and get out.

“As he came down the stairs he said the smoke was really bad and choking him, it was thick and black like plastic had been burning.

“It's pretty worrying something like this has happened. It;s the third one I've known in 20 years living here.”

She added: “What's really bad is if the flames are blocking the fire exit there's no other way out, if you live high up you would be trapped.”

Mark Brown, station manager at Finchley fire station, said they had received multiple calls from the public and scrambled six engines to the fire.

He added: “We had one survival call from a member of the public who thought they were trapped inside their flat.

“They opened the door and saw a lot of smoke outside. The operator stayed on the phone and she made her way out before we arrived.”

One elderly lady was treated by London Ambulance Service staff for smoke inhalation.