NEIGHBOURS have told of the dramatic moment they rushed to help elderly residents when a blaze broke out at retirement homes in Hampshire.

People living nearby ran into Renaissance Retirement’s Fleur-de-Lis building in Romsey when flames took hold of a generator and spread to one side of the building - shattering windows and causing balconies to collapse.

The drama unfolded just days after work was carried out on the appliance at the 52-bed sheltered housing complex after the company was issued with a noise abatement notice following complaints from local residents.

Now the retirement company has launched a widespread review into the future use of generators at all of its sites.

It comes as residents are today waiting to see if they can return to their homes later this afternoon amid investigations into what caused the fire.

The blaze broke out in a temporary generator on the Jubilee Road side of the building and flames rose to the height of three storeys and spread to three unoccupied flats.

A staff member raised the alarm, but neighbours also helped some of the 21 people who were living in other parts of the building escape.

Neighbour Nicky Tilbury, 53, from Malmesbury Road, helped was with her daughter Claire, 24.

Nicky said: "We heard the sound of glass shattering and I looked out and saw the flames and I shouted 'there's a fire'.

"My daughter ran through a hole in our hedge to the homes to alert people.

"She led a couple on the first floor to safety and another two people."

"The people were shaken so my husband came down with chairs and blankets.

"Luckily everybody was out but it could have cost them their lives."

She said that neighbours had previously complained about noise and the safety of the generators and their safety claiming it was "an accident waiting to happen".

A 54-year-old woman from Jubilee Road who did not want to give her name also helped.

She said: "Fire was coming from the generator chimney and the next moment it had quadrupled in size.

"Inside one of the lads working there was coming towards me with a lady in a wheelchair who was really frightened and she was saying she was going to have a heart attack.

"There was a frightened elderly couple with a man in a wheelchair.

"There was a man working there running around half dressed trying to help and two lads were kicking open doors to ensure noone was in there."

Neighbour Christopher Rosman, 71, said: "It was chaos - the flames were going right up.

"The glass exploded and the balconies collapsed. It could have killed someone."

Around 20 firefighters from Romsey, Eastleigh, St Mary's and Redbridge arrived and stopped the fire spreading to most of the building.

No residents were injured and were found alternative accommodation following the blaze.

Last night fire crews were carrying out investigations as balconies and fascias of three flats stood charred and blackened.

The generator had been installed after the company failed to deliver mains electricity and had to rely on emergency power for their residents in the form of two temporary generators.

Work to connect the complex to the electricity grid will be completed by Tuesday, October 11, Renaissance has said.

But marketing director Chris Wotton did not rule out the company bringing in new generators to provide power in the meantime He said the flats had sustained "cosmetic damage" and added: "We are providing on-going support to our residents and ensuring their comfort is our main priority.

"We’d like to thank the emergency services who were there in minutes and did a first class job last night.

"I’d also like to thank our residents who have remained in good spirits and gratitude to neighbours on who showed true community spirit towards our residents."