A FIRE investigation has been launched probing as to why a block of flats’ smoke alarms did not sound when a fire broke out in a children’s nursery a few floors below.

The alarms failed to sound in the Parkhouse Court flats after the blaze took hold in the ground-floor Rainbow House Nursery in Hatfield, at 9.35am on Friday.

More than 75 youngsters at the nursery, whose alarms did sound, were promptly evacuated.

However, residents living above told this morning’s (Wednesday’s) Welwyn Hatfield Times how they were only aware when they heard the commotion outside.

A Herts fire spokeswoman added investigations as to why the alarms failed are on-going.

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