Man and pet cat rescued from flat fire

A man and his pet cat were rescued from a fire that left a flat and shop damaged.

Firefighters were called to the first floor property above the Co-op food store in Nettleham shortly after 19:00 BST on Thursday, according to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Five appliances from across the county and an aerial platform were sent to the scene.

Lincolnshire Police said the man was taken to hospital, where he remained in a stable condition. The force is investigating the cause of the blaze alongside the fire service.

Fire appliances from Lincoln, Wragby, Waddington and two from Gainsborough, along with the aerial platform from Lincoln, attended the scene.

The flat suffered fire and water damage with smoke damage to both properties, the fire service said.

A police spokesperson added: "A joint investigation by Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service is ongoing to identify the cause of the fire.

"This will lead to police and fire presence in the area throughout the day and potentially into the coming days.

"We are keeping an open mind about the cause while this work is undertaken."

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