SHOCKED residents who were forced from their flats due to a blaze early today have told how it could have been much worse.Despite being woken up at around 1.30am today as a result of the fire,

SHOCKED residents who were forced from their flats due to a blaze early today have told how it could have been much worse.

Despite being woken up at around 1.30am today as a result of the fire, many chose to stay in their homes because there are so many hoax alarms each week.

Some people did leave the flats in Pipers Court in Old Foundry Road, Ipswich but others just ignored the alarms.

The fire brigade have confirmed it was a suspicious blaze and an investigation will be carried out today with police officers.

Graham Woods, 54, said: “It could have been much more serious had it have been a bigger fire.

“Because there are so many hoaxes here lots of people ignored the alarms. Once I realised that it was a real incident and not a hoax I just wanted to make sure that everybody was ok. Once everybody realised it was a real incident it shocked a lot of people.”

Philip Brown, 52, who is partially deaf in one ear, said he slept through the incident because his fire alarm didn't go off.

He said: “It frightened me because I woke up when it was all over. I just saw the blue lights out the back and I opened the balcony door and saw the firemen looking and I realised what was going on and I came down. It could have been on my part of the building but luckily it was not.”

Three fire engines from the town attended the blaze. The complex of 102 flats was evacuated and fire-fighters made entry into other flats to make sure the fire had not spread.

Nobody was injured during the incident which was over at 2.41am.