Just five days into the job, 26-year-old April Cachia arrived for her night shift at Shoreditch fire station.

Hours after arriving - and having never before battled a fire before - she found herself face to face with one of the most devastating infernos in British history.

Miss Cachia, who helped more than 20 residents of the high rise block escape, has told The Daily Telegraph of the harrowing scenes that awaited her at Grenfell Tower.

“The smell of smoke, the sound of crackling, the sound of debris hitting the ground, children screaming, people handing you their phones to speak to their loved ones – they’re the things you won’t ever forgot,” said Miss Cachia, who had dreamed of being a firefighter since she was a child.