A blaze started above a pub in Ilford last night which firefighters said was “deliberate”.

The emergency services were called to The Black Horse in Chapel Road at about 3.30am.

A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said: “When we turned up someone outside said they had heard screams but there was no one in there.

“The fire was on the second floor and four pumps attended the scene.

“The premises was unoccupied but we found a bed and television in one of the rooms and it looked like someone had been sleeping in there.

“We are presuming it was deliberate.”