A CREWE councillor feared for the wellbeing of tenants caught up in a flats explosion a year after they were forced to flee the Beechmere blaze.

Cllr Marilyn Houston praised the community spirit that was shown helping out residents of the sheltered accommodation block in School Crescent rocked by an explosion and fire last night (Wednesday).

More than 30 tenants of Hardwicke Court were temporarily evacuated to Hungerford Academy while firefighters spent four hours putting out the blaze which initially engulfed a first-floor flat. Several adjoining flats also suffered fire damage.

Cllr Houston, who sits on Cheshire's Combined Fire Authority, visited the primary school to check up on residents, including two elderly people who were rehoused to the flats, managed by the Guinness Partnership, from the former Beechmere Extra Care home.

The pair were among the residents who were forced to flee the Rolls Avenue complex after last August's devastating fire.

Cllr Houston said: "I knew two of the residents had been rehoused from Beechmere and I was worried. My first thought was that this would be absolutely traumatic for them after what they'd been through before.

"Fortunately, their apartments weren't affected. All the residents were taken to the primary school and they were extremely grateful to the school staff.

"They were given cups of tea and someone even went to the chip shop to get meals for them. It really does show the fantastic community spirit there is in Crewe when something like this happens."

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have launched an investigation and confirm they are treating the explosion and fire as an arson attack.

Police have arrested a 69-year-old man.

Three residents of the sheltered housing block have been moved to temporary accommodation while the damage to their flats is assessed.

A spokesperson for The Guinness Partnership said: "Residents returned to their homes last night, but three are staying in temporary accommodation.

"Guinness staff were on site throughout to support our residents."