A man was rescued after a fire broke out in the kitchen of a Turkish restaurant in Hornchurch yesterday.

Hornchurch firefighters were called to the fire in Turkish Mangal, in the High Street, at 11am.

The fire is expected to have started in the kitchen area from the charcoal grill and travelled through the back of the building. Fire Fighters were at the scene for three hours while they contained it.

A witness who was shopping nearby said the fire fighters came to the rescue of a man who looked distressed upstairs.

Trudy Costello said: “A man appeared at an upstairs window, trying in vain to open the window and was clearly in distress.

“The fire brigade were able to free him however, and he shortly appeared on the pavement outside.

“He was given oxygen by the fire officers and was clearly very grateful to them.”

She added that the prompt arrival of the fire brigade “averted a much worse scenario.”

Watch manager Jason Frisby said: “The kitchen was already alight when we arrived in the extractor fan. That was damaged and there was damage to the kitchen. There was a man in the solicitors’ office above who had suffered from smoke inhalation who was treated at the scene by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service.”

About 20 fire fighters from staions in Hornchurch, Romford and Dagenham attended. The restaurant will remain closed while the damage is cleaned up.