A family had a lucky escape from their house after the tumble-dryer caught fire.

The appliance burst into flames in a property in Orchard Road, Otford, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Thankfully smoke alarms roused the sleeping family, who had enough time to evacuate.

Fire crews from Sevenoaks were called to the house just after 1am.

Glen Miles, the homeowner and father of three young children, said: "We were woken to the sound of the alarms, so I rushed downstairs and found smoke coming from the tumble dryer.

"I immediately isolated the electrics and evacuated everyone from the house, then called 999. We were out of the house within a minute.

"We’ll certainly not be leaving any kitchen appliances on overnight or when we leave the house. It’s a reminder that we can take this stuff for granted. Our lucky escape will hopefully be a warning to others to think twice in future.

"You can rebuild homes, but you can’t rebuild lives."

Danny Barrett, watch manager, said: "When we arrived the fire was smouldering in the fluff that had built up in the dryer.

"The kitchen was very smoke logged, so the house smelt of smoke. But things could have been worse had it not been for the excellent and robust fire safety measures in place throughout the home."

"The doors throughout the property were also closed, which meant in the event of a fire; big or small, it would be contained and the damage kept to a minimum."

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to think twice before leaving appliances on when they're going to bed or leaving the house, as incidents like this can easily occur.