A freak fire could have cost a 90-year-old man his life had it not been for the quick actions of his daughters.

The man became trapped in his flat in Durrell Gardens, Luton, on Monday after an unattended pan caught fire shortly after 2pm.

The flames spread quickly to a nearby shelf and ignited an aerosol, spreading the blaze through his kitchen.

The alarm was raised by the man’s daughters, who live in the same block of flats and saw smoke coming from his home.

Two fire crews from Medway rushed to the scene and rescued the man. They then spent nearly an hour tackling the blaze.

An ambulance was called to the flat but was not needed.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue said:“He is a very lucky man. The quick actions of his daughters, ourselves and the paramedics saved his life.”