Firefighters rescued a man from a fire in his home after he fell asleep whilst trying to cook something in the microwave following a night out.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called by neighbours who could smell smoke coming from a flat on Beulah Road just after 1am on Friday, August 1.

They called the emergency services after getting no response from the man when knocking on his door.

On arrival crews noticed smoke coming from the kitchen and forced their way into the property where they found the man asleep on the sofa.

“This incident highlights the dangers of leaving cooking unattended, especially if you’re tired after a night out and may have been drinking alcohol as well" - Watch manager, Mark Havell

Tunbridge Wells watch manager, Mark Havell, who attended the incident said: “It appears that the man had returned from a night out and started cooking in the microwave, unfortunately he then fell asleep on the sofa and with his home beginning to fill with smoke he was extremely lucky the neighbours acted quickly in calling for assistance.

“The microwave itself was literally minutes away from catching alight, and as it was between the man and the door, he would have had difficulty in escaping safely if a fire had broken out and spread throughout the flat.”

“This incident highlights the dangers of leaving cooking unattended, especially if you’re tired after a night out and may have been drinking alcohol as well.

"If you do return home and feel hungry it’s far safer to have a cold snack or takeaway rather then taking a risk by starting cooking and falling asleep. I would also urge everyone to get smoke alarms fitted in their home and have an escape plan in case of fire.”