Fire crews were called to tackle a blaze in a student house in Canterbury after the occupants left cooking unattended.

The students were able to escape the four-storey building on Giles Lane, near Kent University unharmed.

Crews used breathing masks and a jet hose to tackle the blaze, which broke out around 11pm last night.

Damage was limited to the kitchen, which has been left unusable.

Canterbury fire station watch manager, Sheridan Hudson-Peacock said: “When we arrived we found a large kitchen well alight.

"Luckily all people in the building had been evacuated safely which allowed us to get in and start tackling the fire quickly.

"We were able to contain the blaze to the kitchen, however the fire caused extensive damage and the kitchen is now unusable.”

On this occasion a student had left his cooking to make a telephone call.

Firefighters gave the students in the accommodation home fire safety advice, which included guidance about the dangers of leaving cooking unattended.

He warned people - especially students living away from home for the first time - to be especially careful of the dangers of fire when cooking.

He added: “We would like to take this opportunity to remind people of the dangers associated with unattended cooking.

"The majority of fires start in the kitchen so this is a high risk area. We always encourage people to switch off any heat sources if they need to leave the kitchen for any length of time. It is important to remember – fires start when your attention stops.”

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