Man is killed as fire guts house

Forensic examinations have been carried out at the scene

A man has been killed in a fire at a house in Liverpool.

Firefighters were called to reports of the fire at the terraced property on Harrow Road, Anfield, at 0410 GMT.

Nearby residents were moved from their homes as three crews tackled the fire, which was described as "extreme" by a Merseyside Fire Service spokesman.

It is not yet known how the flames started and crews are waiting until the building has been declared safe before beginning an investigation.

Merseyside Fire Service said the victim was believed to be a man in his 40s.

House debris

A joint investigation with Merseyside Police will be carried out in due course.

"We will, with the assistance of our colleagues in the police, be working our way through the property once it is safe to do so to find out whether there's any further casualties to be found," he said.

"There's been an awful lot of damage to the property - there's a lot of debris to be sorted through.

"We've just got to take our time and make sure we don't miss anything."