FAMILIES were evacuated following a suspected arson attack in a basement flat in Hamilton Square on Saturday night.

Firefighters were called to the grade one-listed building after a resident raised the alarm.

Eyewitnesses said smoke from the blaze spread very quickly from the unoccupied flat filling the upper four apartments of the building, setting off public access alarms.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

An investigation is ongoing but Merseyside Police confirmed they believe the fire was started deliberately.

One nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said: “The smoke alarms in public staircases did work for about five minutes after the verbal alarm was raised by the resident.

“Most of the residents were asleep when the alarm was raised. It is believed the apartment was empty at the time.

“Without the very prompt action of the resident and the fire alarms, the incident could have been far worse.

Wirral Globe:

The basement flat is taped off after Saturday night fire

“The smoke from the basement quickly spread to the adjacent building, which suggests that a fire could quickly spread through these unique Grade 1 & 2 listed buildings if not caught in time.”

Mike Elkerton, secretary of the Hamilton Square Conservation Area Advisory Committee, told the Globe: "We are horrified about what happened at the weekend regarding the fire in Hamilton Square, when people’s lives were put at risk.

"There are only two grade-one listed town squares in England.

"They are Trafalgar Square and Hamilton Square.

"If the fire had taken hold of the building we could have lost part of England's irreplaceable heritage.

"We have warned Wirral Council about other potential fire risks not just in Hamilton Square but at other buildings in the conservation area."

A police spokesman said: "The incident is being treated as a case of deliberate ignition.

"There are no signs of forced entry at the premises.

"A joint investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances, including forensic, CCTV and door-to-door enquiries."

Anyone with information about the incident should call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.