RESIDENTS were evacuated from a large fire in a terrace of five houses in the Chapelfields area of Acomb tonight.

No one was hurt in the blaze with the residents of the burning building, believed to be a man and three children, escaping before the fire brigade arrived.

Fire crews were called to the fire, which started in the attic room of the central property of Joseph Edward Mews, on Bramham Avenue, at about 5.45pm.

The residents in the attached houses were told to evacuate by fire fighters as four crews from Acomb, York, Huntington and Tadcaster fought the blaze, which destroyed the top floor of the house.

Fire crews said the other houses would all be affected with smoke damage, and they would not know to what extent the fire had spread to the neighbouring houses, or what the cause of it was, until they could investigate the scene.

A neighbour from the house next door said she had gone back into her terrace and it was filled with black smoke.

She said she had been told they would not be able to stay in the house tonight and fire crews did not yet know when they could return.