A young woman had a lucky escape after sparking a fire at her Canterbury home by lighting a cigarette and falling asleep.

She was only saved when people passing by her house in Sturry Road noticed smoke billowing from the window of a front bedroom, and alerted the fire service.

Two crews from Canterbury station rushed to the house at 3.20am, and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus doused the flames.

It is thought the woman had been out drinking. When she returned home, she lit a cigarette and fell asleep in the next room.

The cigarette then set light to a patch of carpet and a pile of clothes.

Crew manager Steve Davies said the woman did not have a smoke alarm fitted, and the outcome could have been much worse.

He said: "The fire was contained to the bedroom, but there was minor smoke damage to the rest of the house.

"The message we would give is to have a smoke alarm fitted. If the woman had one, it would have woken her up and alerted her to the fire in the early stages.

"If people haven't got smoke alarms, they can contact us and we will fit them for free.

"We also would advise never leaving smoking materials unattended. If people are going to smoke before they go to bed, they should do so outside the property."

Paramedics were also called to treat the woman for smoke inhalation.