Firefighters had to break into a flat today to drag a man from his smoke-filled flat.

The rescue operation was triggered after the man fell asleep in an armchair leaving a cooking pan of food unattended in his kitchen.

And firefighters say the prompt actions of a neighbour, who alerted the emergency services after being woken by her smoke detector, had probably saved his life.

Crews from Fairweather Green and Bradford fire stations were called to the ground floor flat in Thornaby Drive, Clayton, at 3.15am today.

Firefighter Michael Smith said: "When we got there we had a report there was someone in the flat.

"We were banging on the door but could get no answer so had to break in.

"A pan left on the cooker had burned dry and filled the flat with smoke and the man was still asleep in an armchair.

"We got him out just in time - another few minutes and we could have had a very serious incident on our hands.

"The neighbour's prompt actions probably saved his life.''

Following the rescue firefighters gave the 47-year-old man oxygen and paramedics gave him a check-up at the scene.

In a separate incident Fairweather Green firefighters were called to a terraced house in Little Lane, Girlington, just after midnight to put out a bed fire, believed to have been started by a smouldering discarded cigarette.

Nobody was injured in the blaze which left the bedroom badly damaged and other rooms smoke-logged.

Firefighter Smith: "Both these incidents were ones which could easily have been avoided with a little bit more care and attention.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.