DETECTIVES are treating as deliberate a fire which broke out at a block of flats in east Belfast.

The PSNI say the fire started out in an empty flat in the Knockwood Park area around 10.40 pm on Thursday night.

Fire crews from Knock Fire Station and police from Strandtown PSNI station attended the scene.

Three appliances attended the scene but the fire was not as large as first thought.

One man was treated at the scene by paramedics from the Ulster Hospital for smoke inhalation.