EIGHT people were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation following a blaze at a private nursing home in the early hours of today.

Fire crews were called to Andrew Smith House, Marsden Hall Road, Nelson, at about 1.30am after the blaze broke out.

Four residents were rescued from the 60-bed building by firefighters and a total of eight taken to Burnley General Hospital where they were treated for the effects of inhaling smoke.

All have now been discharged.

The ground-floor of the building was smoke-logged by the blaze and an investigation has been launched into the cause.