Teenagers rescued from window ledge as Georgian tenement goes up in flames

FOUR people had to rescued after a fire broke out at a four-storey Georgian tenement in Edinburgh's West End in the early hours of yesterday.

The fire started in a first-floor flat before spreading to the second. A total of 30 firefighters was called in.

Among those rescued were student Shae Grimsdale, 18, and his girlfriend Alex Jeffrey, 17, who were woken by the smoke from fire in the property on Buckingham Terrace at 4:30am.

Mr Grimsdale has been staying in his parents' top-floor flat while training to become an engineer.

Ms Jeffrey, a sixth-form college student, was visiting from Berwick.

Realising they were trapped, with no way of escaping down stairs, they called for help and stood by their bedroom window.

Ms Jeffrey said: "After we called, the firemen came really quickly. They got us to climb out of the window and stand on this two-foot ledge.

"But I'm scared of heights. I was scared, terrified. It was either that, or stay in the burning building.

"I went down first, they checked if I was OK then went up for Shae," she added.

Another two people were rescued by firefighters, from the ground floor flat.

A large part of the terrace was cordoned off while Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service tackled the blaze.