A 52-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a house fire in Shadwell this morning in which two men died.

Firefighters, police and ambulance services attended the fire at a two-floor maisonette in Chapman Street, close to Shadwell DLR station at around 1.20am this morning.

They were unable to save two men in the building who were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire is being treated as suspicious and the 52-year-old man is being held in custody at Limehouse police station.

No formal identification has yet been made of the two men who died but police said that next of kin have been informed and a post-mortem examination is to be held at Poplar mortuary tomorrow.

Eyewitnesses spoke this morning of the horrific scenes as a man, believed to be a retired shopkeeper in his 80s and known in the area as Bob, called for help from an upstairs window.

Neighbours called to him to jump from his window and tried to move a bin underneath it to catch his fall.

The incident is being investigated by the Homicide and Serious Crime Command under DCI Stephen Clayman.

Anyone with information is asked to contact officers on 020 8345 3775 or to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.