Two fire crews rescued a man and a cat from a flat blaze in Folkestone Road, Dover this morning, prompting a warning to unplug electric blankets.

The alarm was raised at about 3am by a neighbour in the building after being alerted by the smoke alarm from the third floor flat.

Watch manager Jamie Muddle said: "We sent in two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus. The fire had started in the bed and was contained to just one room."

The man, in his 50s, suffered smoke inhalation and burns where he had tried to tackle the flames himself.

Two fire appliances attended, including Dover's part time crew. Hose reel jets were used to douse the flames and a heavy duty fan cooled the room down and dispersed the smoke.

Watch manager Muddle said: "You must unplug your blankets before you go to bed unless it has a thermostatic control design for night use.

"Always store the blankets rolled up or loosely folded. This prevents the internal wiring being damaged.And make sure you test your blanket every three years, checking for burns, or the smell of burning."

Firefighters remained at the scene for about an hour and a half.

The man, whose injuries are not thought to be life threatening, was taken to hospital by paramedics.