Four people die in Bootle house fire

Image caption, Chief fire officer Nick Searle said the "intense fire" spread rapidly

A mother and three children have died in a house fire on Merseyside.

Six fire engines were at the scene at the height of the blaze at the semi-detached property in Stone Square in Bootle, Sefton, at 03:45 BST.

Eight firefighters searched the house where they discovered four people in an upstairs bedroom who were showing no signs of life, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said.

Another casualty, who was outside the property when crews arrived, was taken to hospital.

Officers from Merseyside Police were at the scene and a joint investigation with the fire service into the cause of the blaze is under way.

The North West Ambulance Service's hazardous area response team also attended the scene of the fire and confirmed the four fatalities.