FIREFIGHTERS were called to Victoria Road, Swindon, this morning to tackle a kitchen fire.

This is the 18th incident in the last month involving cooking or items left on top of a hot hob which Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service crews have been called to.

A spokesman said: "We were called to Victoria Road, Swindon at 8.25am this morning to reports of a fire in a ground-floor flat of a four-storey block.

"A neighbour could see and smell smoke through the letterbox but the occupiers were out.

"Two crews attended from Swindon and Stratton, two breathing apparatus wearers entered the property, and found that cooking had been left unattended. A ventilation fan was used to clear the smoke."

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is now reminding people to take care when cooking after a spate of kitchen fires.

Home safety manager Neil Chamberlain said: “National figures show that more than half of all accidental fires in the home start in the kitchen, and it is very worrying to have had so many of these incidents locally.

“When we look at the fires we’ve had in Wiltshire, there are definite patterns - items such as tea towels or boxes being placed on or next to the hot hob, pans left unattended, fat on grill pans catching alight, or hot oil from chip pans splashing onto the cooker top and igniting.

"Happily, most of these fires weren’t too serious, but all could have been easily avoided with a little care.”

A full range of safety advice for when you’re cooking can be found at www.wiltsfire.gov.uk/kitchensafety.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service offers free home fire safety advice to householders – to see if you qualify for a visit, call 0800 389 7849 or visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk