A family dinner ended in disaster when fire crews were called to tackle a fire in a pan of meatballs.

Crews rushed to the home in Abbots Walk, Wye, to put out a fire in the kitchen involving a hob and grill.

A woman in her 40s and two children were in the house but luckily were uninjured.

When a smoke alarm sounded on the ground floor, the family left the house and dialled 999.

Crews were called to the house at 4.45pm on Monday.

Mark Thomas, Ashford watch manager, said crews believe the fire started as a result of cooking left unattended on the hob.

He said: "The cooker was completely destroyed and the house was lightly smoke logged.

"Fortunately no one was hurt as a result of this incident, but it does highlight how easily unattended cooking can lead to a fire and how essential it is to have working smoke alarms in your home to alert you to a fire.

"Without smoke alarms the fire could have gone undetected for longer, leading to more damage and possible injury to the occupants."

Firefighters offered safety advice and fitted an additional smoke alarm on the first floor of their home.