A MAN was treated for smoke inhalation and two dogs died in an early morning blaze in Haldane.

Shortly before 1am on Friday fire fighters from Balloch and Dumbarton were called to a fire inside a flat on Miller Road.

An occupant of another flat within the block alerted emergency services to the blaze and was given fire survival information while on the phone as he waited for crews to arrive on scene.

He was rescued using a ladder from the building and eight fire fighters using high pressured jets extinguished the blaze.

The man was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but was not taken to hospital.

However, a spokesman for Police Scotland confirmed two dogs died as a result of the blaze, which took hold in the early hours of the morning.

Fire crews remained at the scene throughout the night and specialist fire investigators and Police Scotland were on site to establish a cause.

A man appeared in court on June 28 in connection with the incident.