EFFORTS to stop more fires in a Barrow street are being ramped up.

A Problem Solving Team from Barrow Police visited Ormsgill after another fire broke out in a ground floor flat on Low White Close.

It was the fifth fire in four months on the street.

The reoccurring incident had left some residents terrified, after what was the third fire in one block of flats.

At the visit, Barrow Police, alongside Barrow Housing and Fire services looked at ways in which entry to the flats could be made more difficult for none residents.

Inspector Jim Bailey of Barrow Police said: “The visit also gave us the opportunity to look at the flats and the damage and best discuss how we can tackle the issues for the long term.

“We also discussed sending out a letter to the residents advising them to secure their windows when they’re not in the house as we don’t want people gaining entry who don’t live in the flats.

“We also want to hold a specific Low White Close residents meeting to hear their concerns and what we can do about it.”

One resident Tina Phillips said after the latest blaze: “It’s a bit scary because if that had happened in the middle of the night then we would probably have been in bed and who knows what could have happened.

"We wouldn’t have known before it was too late.”

Another resident Peter Phillips said: “we had to barricade ourselves in with duvets to try and keep the smoke out, but the hallway was just thick with black smoke.”

A community meeting will be held at 6pm on February 5 in the Sure Start centre.

Asked about how these community meetings could support the community, Inspector Bailey said: “We want to be more focused on Problem Solving issues in partnership with the council and the community.

"We need to understand the root cause of the problem so we can look to put in the appropriate response.”

In the meantime, police have increased their patrol activity in the area and have asked anyone with information on the fires to come forward.