A terrified teenage girl trapped in her blazing North Yorkshire home was rescued by firefighters after she alerted them on her mobile phone.

The 17-year-old was today recovering in hospital after suffering smoke inhalation in the fire at a house in Mayfield Grove, Harrogate, early this morning.

Two women, aged 46 and 19, and a ten-year-old boy were also left suffering smoke inhalation after escaping from the fire. They were also treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

The fire started in a rubbish bin in the kitchen of the three-storey terrace, just after 1am. It is thought to have been caused by discarded smoking materials.

While the rest of the family managed to escape, the 17-year-old was trapped in an upstairs back bedroom.

She dialled 999 on her mobile phone and, while a control room operator kept her on the line to keep her calm and give her vital fire survival advice, firefighters raced to the scene.

Firefighters arrived within minutes and freed the girl from the bedroom using a ladder.