AN elderly woman was taken to hospital after her shower caught fire earlier this morning.

Fire crews tackled the blaze at a house in Manor Grove, Leigh, at about 9.45am.

The woman, believed to be in her 70s, left the bathroom with the shower on and returned to see the fire.

She suffered mild smoke inhalation and was taken to hospital suffering from shock.

The specific cause of the fire is not yet known, with firefighters using hose reels and breathing apparatus.

A fire service spokesman said: “We managed to limit the damage just to the bathroom and thankfully the lady had working smoke alarms.

“She was alerted to the fire by them and was able to get out of the house unaided before we arrived.”

For a free home safety check and to have smoke alarms fitted, contact the fire service on 0800 555815.