A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a flat fire in Johnson Fold in the early hours of this morning.

Firefighters from Bolton Central and Bolton North, along with police, were called to the flat in Craven Place at midnight.

The front door to the flat was broken down and the man was found lying on the kitchen floor, conscious and breathing.

The man, who was the only person in the flat at the time, suffered from breating in smoke and was treated by paramedics before being taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

The flat's kitchen and hallway were damaged by the fire and firefighters spent about an hour putting it out.

The man's injuries are not believed to be serious and he is now in custody while police investigate the incident.

None of the other flats in Craven Place were damaged by the fire.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "We were called at midnight. A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

"We are looking into the incident and enquiries are ongoing."

The man is only believed to have lived on the street for a matter of weeks and the incident has stunned his neighbours.

Paul Baistow, a resident of Craven Place, aged 52, said: "I was watching TV when I heard a loud banging sound outside.

"I looked out my window and there were, I would say, about 30 people outside this young man's house.

"There were police and paramedics and the lad was laid down on the grass. He'd only lived here about a month or so.

"We are a very close-knit community here and most people that live here are middle aged or elderly. It was really dramatic - I've never seen anything like it."

Roy Bee, a resident of Craven Place, aged 74, said: "At about 20 past 12, I saw the fire engines outside and a young lad was laid out on the grass while paramedics dealt with him.

"He only moved into the house about 4 weeks ago, so it's come as a huge shock."