Two rescued from fire at old college

Firefighters from Maindee, Malpas and Cwmbran stations raced to the building, wearing breathing apparatus, as clouds of acrid smoke poured out.

The crew found a young couple on the second floor.

One of them was 17-year-old Chris Oliver, originally from Alway, who told the fire brigade that he thought there were four more people inside.

While his girlfriend was given oxygen, the shaken teenager told the Argus: "I've been living in there for about three months. The first thing we knew was the sirens outside and then we could smell smoke. We started to move towards the stairs and then the firefighters got to us and helped us out."

While firefighters tackled the blaze in two rooms on the first floor, others scoured the building and searched the roof using a hydraulic platform ladder.

Three more people escaped but the search continued for the fourth. No-one was found, and once the fire was out and most of the smoke cleared, Mr Oliver was taken back into the building by firefighters to show them where the missing teenager might be hiding. He was named as Nicholas 'Trigger' Wheatman, an 18-year-old from Abergavenny.

While the crew searched the warren of rooms and roof spaces, Mr Oliver told the crews: "I'm sure Trig has run away by now."

John Archer, fire brigade incident commander, said: "We rescued the two youngsters and they reported several more. We searched all the floors and are satisfied everyone got out all right."

A police spokesman said: "We believe the fire was not deliberately started but began with the negligent use of candles or cigarettes. The council has been requested to board up this building."

The former art college is not thought to have been badly damaged by the fire. At one point it was thought the building - owned by businessman Thila Garaj - could become the new campus for The University College of Wales, Newport.