A YOUNG woman and a toddler had to be led to safety from their first floor home last night after fire broke out in the flat below.

Three fire crews were called to the three-storey building in Deerbush, West Denton, Newcastle, at 8.40pm last night.

The blaze severely damaged the ground-floor flat, but was extinguished before crews arrived.

The occupier of the flat, a 31-year-old man, was treated by paramedics at the scene for superficial burns to his leg.

Smoke from the fire flooded the flat above, trapping the occupiers inside.

A 23-year-old woman was given survival advice by the emergency operator before firefighters arrived and led her and a 23-month-old toddler to safety.

They were checked by paramedics, but were not hurt.