Two apprentice jockeys are believed to have died and two others injured after a fire broke out at a block of flats in England.

Emergency services were called to the flats in Buckrose Court, in Norton, near Malton, North Yorkshire, which are occupied by apprentice jockeys, in the early hours of Saturday.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "At this stage it is believed two people have died although this cannot be confirmed until the fire has been fully extinguished and officers are able to enter the building and carry out a full search.

"Two other casualties, two men believed to be in their early 20s, have been taken to York District Hospital where they are being treated for the effects of smoke inhalation and burn injuries.

"It is too early to say what the cause of the fire was but a detailed examination of the scene will be carried out."

The spokeswoman said police had been alerted by the fire service at around 2.15am.

The flats are located along an alleyway off the main street through Norton and not visible from the main road.

On Saturday morning, police had cordoned off a stretch of the high street and a number of fire appliances were still at the scene, at the end of the alleyway.

The only signs of the blaze visible from the pavement were two charred window frames, on the first floor of the red-brick property overlooking a churchyard.

Local Lib Dem Councillor Howard Keal said he lived just around the corner but was only alerted when he saw the large number of emergency service vehicles.

He said he has spoken to many people in Norton who are devastated by what has happened.

He said: "There's a profound sense of shock that something terrible has happened today in this community.

"It was clear from the moment I saw the number of emergency vehicles that something serious had happened.

"It looked pretty bad from that moment."

Mr Keal said: "What is clear at this stage is that two young lives have been tragically cut short.

"It's absolutely horrendous that people with their lives ahead of them have had them cut short in this way."

Steve Kinsella, who runs a pub opposite the scene, described how he was first aware of the incident when a girl came into the street screaming.

He said: "I just heard someone shouting. So I looked through the window and saw a girl just running in the street.

"All she had on was a t-shirt.

"She was shouting, 'Fire, fire', screaming at the top of her voice.

"I was just about to pick up the phone to dial 999 myself but as I had the phone in my hand the fire brigade turned up."

Mr Kinsella, who is the landlord of the Railway Tavern, said that the police asked him to open up his pub and up to 20 people evacuated from the flats came inside to recover.

He said at that point he did not realise anyone had died, although he knew the incident was serious.

He said he and his wife supplied everyone with tea and coffee while the police took statements.

Asked how the residents were in his pub, he said: "They were shocked but quiet.

"Nobody was hysterical. They were very, very dignified."

Mr Kinsella continued: "They had lived through it. All I did was to give tea and coffee to them.

"I probably knew them by sight but nothing more than that.

"It's just very, very sad for young lives to be lost like that."

Catherine Hyder, who also lives opposite, said: "My husband heard a girl come down onto the street and was banging on doors to raise the alarm.

"She said someone had jumped out of one of the windows.

"We could see the flames at the back and there were a lot of fire brigade people around.

"It was quite scary and quite noisy."