A GREENOCK pensioner had a miracle escape after a fierce fire engulfed her top floor flat and sparked a massive emergency services response.

Fire crews, police and ambulances rushed to Bagatelle Court in the west end following a serious blaze on the top floor of a building containing 28 self-contained flats.

The independent living flats off Eldon Street, which are specifically adapted to those that are physically handicapped, were immediately evacuated as a fleet of emergency services arrived.

The inhabitant of the flat, an elderly female, was treated by paramedics and later confirmed to have escaped without injury.

The flat was left burnt out and the building badly blackened by the flames and smoke.

River Clyde Homes, who oversee the property, which sits behind the Greenock Medical Aid Society's Bagatelle House care home, say that some residents may have to be moved elsewhere temporarily due to the damage caused.

A spokesperson for RCH said: "We can confirm that a fire has taken place at a building on Eldon Street.

"The building has been evacuated and, thankfully, no one has been injured.

"Emergency services are on site, and some residents may be required to be rehoused temporarily."

An investigation is now under way into the cause of the fire, which happened shortly after 11.30am.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “No-one has been injured, however a number of local residents have been evacuated.

"Enquiries are ongoing.”

A passer-by, who did not want to be named, said: "It was very frightening to watch.

"With the amount of fire engines and police cars I feared the worst.

"With the amount of emergency services in attendance I knew it must have been something serious."

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service say the pensioner had already been evacuated from the building before their arrival on scene.

A spokesperson said: "We were alerted at 11.33am on Friday, August 12 to reports of a fire at a property at Eldon Street, Greenock.

"Operations control mobilised three fire appliances and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting a flat on the third floor of a three-storey building.

"The inhabitant of the flat had been evacuated prior to our arrival and nobody suffered any injuries."