A MOTHER told this week how she hung out of her flat window cradling her 16-week-old baby as fire engulfed the shop below.

Martina Collins (23), her baby daughter Millie and boyfriend Ben White (25) were trapped in the apartment directly above the blazing Spar shop in Heywood Road, Prestwich, as smoke billowed through.

Firemen used ladders to reach the stranded trio and Miss Collins was able to safely hand over her baby to the rescuers .

Another eight people were evacuated from their smoke-filled flats, most of whom were treated for mild smoke inhalation by fire crews and paramedics at the scene, but none required hospital treatment.

However, two kittens belonging to Miss Collins perished despite being given oxygen by an ambulance crew.

Miss Collins (23) said: "There is only one way out and when we looked out of the window we knew it was too bad for us to get out that way.

"All that was on my mind was how we could get out in safety with my daughter. "I was just hanging out of the window with her, so that we didn't breathe in the smoke."

Miss Collins, who is now staying with family, added: "The firemen were absolutely brilliant. Words cannot describe how good they were."

Detectives say that the cause of the Sunday morning (Nov 1q8) fire, which broke out at the rear of the Spar store, is being treated as suspicious.

Around 15 firefighters tackled the flames which spread to the roofs of six flats located on two floors above the row of shops.

The drama began at 2.45am on Sunday when a number of bread crates and boxes at the rear of the Spar shop were set ablaze.

Fire crews from Broughton, Whitefield, Gorton and Agecroft were called to the scene after the couple had raised the alarm.

The roof sustained around 30 per cent damage and two of the flats were heavily smoke-logged. The Spar shop was badly damaged.

Broughton-based Station Officer Steve Sheridan said: "The fire went up the outside of the building and into the shop itself and up to the eaves and into the roof space.

"When we arrived, there was a severely-developing fire in the roof which was well alight over two of the six flats."

He added: "The occupants were at their windows and the shop was alight downstairs at the back.

"The flames were threatening to come down through the roof.

"When these people opened their loft hatches, it was a complete ball of flames."

Mrs Helen Walton escaped through her family's chip shop entrance with her two sons, five-week-old Robbie and Jake (9) after being woken by firefighters.

Her brothers Paul and Colin Madeley, mother Ann, and two neighbours escaped along the same route.

Mrs Walton said: "Whoever has done this has put our lives at risk.

"It has been a nightmare."

A spokesman for Bury police said the incident was being treated as an arson attack. Investigations are continuing.