BREAKING: Tower block arson attack started in a discarded settee

An arson attack which left more than 700 high-rise residents fearing a Grenfell Tower-style disaster began when a discarded sofa was torched, police have confirmed.

Several residents said they heard no alarms go off, although The WM Housing Group, which runs Cleveland Tower, said there are smoke alarms in every flat and in communal areas.

The 32-storey Cleveland Tower, off Holloway Head in Birmingham city centre, was filled with thick smoke when the settee went up in flames on the 22nd floor.

West Midlands Police has confirmed the fire began in a sofa which had been left in a communal area.