A doorway was set alight in a spate of arsons in an Ipswich neighbourhood.

Emergency services were called to reports of a fire at an address in Whitland Close at around 3.20am on Friday, July 13.

According to a spokesman for Suffolk police, the ground floor front door was “totally alight”.

The fire caused damage to the building, although the everyone living in the block managed to make it out safely.

Three of four homes are understood to have been affected, and it is believed some families were temporarily moved away from the properties.

One person living in the road said: “The community was brilliant and really pulled together. They helped look after some of the children affected.”

The police spokesman said that neighbours ran out of their homes to help firefighters as they fought the blaze.

Four fire engines – from Ipswich East, Princes Street, Holbrook and Woodbridge – attended the scene of the blaze.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service called a stop on the incident at around 4.10am.

Yesterday, police also received reports that bins had been deliberately set on fire in Halifax Road around the same time as the flat fire, just a 15 minute walk away.

A resident of Halifax Road, who wished not to be named, said the bins were set alight at around 3am.

He said: “I think they used something to light the bins on fire.

“It sounded a bit like an explosion.

“It is around a 15 minute walk from the other fire, that’s what made me think they might be related.

“I went round to Whitland Close and reported it to police officers who were investigating there.

“Another one of my neighbours had their bins set on fire just up the road.

“It was quite close to a car, too, so it could have been a lot worse.”

Police have since confirmed they are linking the incidents and have opened an arson investigation.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police added: “There are also further reports of damage to bins in the area.

“It is part of the same investigation.”

If you have any information that could assist police officers in their investigation, call police on 101 quoting crime reference 38917/18.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or visit ww.crimestoppers-uk.org