NEIGHBOURS were forced to wake a drunk Nelson man who turned his chip pan on and went to bed.

Residents in Sackville Street were woken by smoke alarms at around 3.15am yesterday, and alerted the man who had slept through the noise.

Two fire engines from Nelson were called to the terraced street to put out the blaze, which damaged the man’s kitchen.

Crew manager Nigel Greenwood said: “Never cook whilst under the influence of alcohol.

“Either make sandwiches before you leave your home or get food from a takeaway.”

Neighbour Jacqui Strutt, 42, said: “I was woken up by the smoke alarm going off.

“It is bedsits at the house and the person was sleeping in the room next to the kitchen, so I don’t know how they didn’t wake up.

“When I came outside someone was already banging on the door and had woken the man up to get him out.”

Shazad Liaqot, who lives across the road from the house, said: “I came down when I heard the smoke alarm and people were already out. There were three lads and a girl stood outside the house.

“Two fire engines turned up and they were probably there for about half an hour.

“I think they had closed the kitchen door so they managed to make sure the fire didn’t spread to any of the other rooms.”

Crew manager Greenwood reiterated the importance of having a working smoke alarm and said: “A smoke alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you and your family time to escape.”

For a free home fire safety check, advice and smoke alarm test or replacement, visit www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk, call into your local fire station, or call 0800 1691125.