A SMOKE detector alerted an elderly man when his television set caught fire at his home in Broadstairs.

The householder, who had unplugged the set in his lounge and put the flames out by the time fire crews from the Thanet station at Broadstairs arrived.

One of the firemen said: “This yet again shows the value of a properly working smoke detector. Without it, this fire could have quickly spread and the damage would have been much worse.

“The occupier unplugged the set and put water onto it to dampen the flames down. We do not advise using water around an electrical appliance.

“If your television catches fire unplug it, if at all possible. The best advice is to shut all doors, leave the house and contact the fire service immediately.”

The fire, in Weatherly Drive, broke out at about 10.20pm on Monday.