FIRE chiefs have expressed "great concern" at the lack of smoke alarms at a block of flats in Worcester.

The blaze trapped 24-year-old Kelly Norrey and her six-week-old son Shay in their flat at Gamekeepers Drive in Brickfields.

The mother and baby were saved in a dramatic rescue by firefighters in the early hours of yesterday morning and are now recovering at her parent's Worcester home.

Afterwards, Miss Norrey's mother-in-law Shirley Evans, of Warndon Villages, Worcester criticised Nexus Housing Association for failing to install smoke alarms at the property.

"I think it's absolutely disgusting. Mainly because there are 12 people that live there and there is no smoke alarm," she said.

Mandy Bookbinder, aged 42, another resident of the block of flats, agreed: "How are we supposed to tell if there's a fire without an alarm?" she said.

Fire officer shocked

Martin Watson, assistant divisional officer with Hereford and Worcester fire service, said he was shocked.

"It's an area of great concern to us, particularly in areas of multi-occupation and we are speaking to the housing association regarding this."

Ken Hazeldene, Nexus Housing Association operations manager, said it was not the company's policy to fit smoke alarms as a matter of course.

He told the Evening News that the company normally installed smoke alarms when they were installing or upgrading heating systems.

"These flats were due for alarm fitting from April next year, but it's now more than likely we'll be bringing that forward".