A MAN has been arrested after a woman and boy were critically injured in a fire in a Kidderminster flat last night.

Police and fire chiefs have launched an investigation following a fire in the apartment above a shop in The Horsefair, Kidderminster, which broke out at around 9.55pm last night (Thursday, November 27).

A 41-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Fire crews rescued a 22-year-old woman and her five-year-old son from the apartment and they are currently in hospital in a critical condition.

The victims are being treated at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Children's Hospital respectively.

Two other people were treated for smoke inhalation and taken to Worcester Hospital but their condition is not described as serious.

Residents in neighbouring properties were also evacuated from their homes while Radford Avenue, down to the Ringway, was closed.

Officers from West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service are investigating the incident and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Robert Marsh, Area Manager for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “A woman and a boy, believed to be mother and child, were treated at the scene before being transferred to hospital. The woman was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the boy taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Their condition is described as critical.”

Nick Cadman, North Worcestershire Fire Commander, said: “Fire crews responded promptly to the incident and recovered two casualties from the building. They worked with police and ambulance crews to treat the casualties at the scene before they were taken to hospital.

“This was a significant operation involving all the emergency services and our primary concern was the immediate safety of people involved in the incident. The prompt action of the officers also helped to limit the impact on residential and commercial properties in the surrounding area.”

Superintendent Kevin Purcell, from West Mercia Police, added: “We are currently treating this fire as suspicious and would appeal for anyone with information that may help with our investigation to contact us.

“The investigation will be led by a detective inspector and will involve investigators from the fire and rescue service and our scenes of crime officers. We would like to thank everyone in the surrounding area for their support and patience while we manage and investigate this incident.”

Kidderminster resident Craig Willey told The Shuttle that he had climbed on top of a lorry parked outside the flat to try to help get the occupants out.

He said: "I was driving along when I saw the flat was on fire so I stopped to see if I could help.

"A group of us caught two men who had jumped out the window and they told us that a woman and child was still in the flat.

"So I asked a lorry driver, who had parked further up the road, to move his lorry outside of the flat. When he did, I climbed on top of it and was shouting to them to try to get out.

"But there was no response and then the fire service arrived and got them out."

Syed Ali, who lives in nearby Eddy Road, said: "The woman and child were pulled out by firemen and the woman was given CPR for about 20 minutes."

Local UKIP councillor Paul Wooldridge was at the scene as emergency services dealt with the incident.

He said: "There were a lot of police cars and a couple of fire engines at the scene when I got there and I saw fire fighters going into the flat to deal with it.

"This is obviously a terrible situation but the emergency services at the scene handled everything brilliantly and calmly. Horsefair was closed but traffic on the ring road was moving fine."

Mum-of-two Angela Taylor, 34, added: "I was driving past when I saw a load of police and fire crews outside a shop.

"A woman and her son were dragged out the flat. I spoke to one person who saw what happened and they said they heard the woman screaming out the window for help. It’s horrific. I just hope they pull through."

Anyone with any information is urged to contact police by calling 101 and quoting incident 0715s of 27112014 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.