Firefighters have been praised after battling their way into a burning building to rescue three people this morning.

Bystanders described flames leaping 20 metres into the air, after the blaze broke out in a car wash behind a Premier Store in Luton Road, at around 6am.

Crews had to fight to gain access to nearby flats before rescuing three people, who were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service group manager Lawrence Pater said firefighters had been confronted with a “severe fire” on arrival.

“It was a well-developed fire with flames reaching up to the first floor,” he said. “They battled through the flames and gained access to the ground floor flat where they rescued three people - two children and one female adult.

“It was very hard work - they worked really hard to get in there. Our control people were doing fire survival guidance for those people inside the premises. They were rescued by the service and carried out of the building.

“We’ve been told that they are now making really good progress in hospital.”

Mr Pater said people living in flats on either side of the premises had also been evacuated, and were unlikely to be able to return to their homes for a couple of days.

Meanwhile, neighbour Tihomir Todorov described how the fire destroyed the roof of his garage, but fortunately did not spread to his home.

“I woke up at 6am and called the firefighters,” he said. “I could see from the window that there was fire all across the roof of the car wash.

“It was a big fire - until the firefighters came it was massive. The flames were 20 metres in the air. I was very worried.”

Another neighbour saw the scene unfold from the opposite side of Luton Road, and said they heard a “boom” before seeing smoke rising from the building.

Five fire engines and a technical rescue unit were called, as well as an ambulance team and police.

Luton Road was closed just after 6am between the Luton Arches and the junction with Castle Road, but has since reopened.