A microwave "nearly melted" after it was placed on top of an electric hob in Horwich.

A woman, aged in her mid 60s, had been cooking a potato in the microwave at her home in Flockton Court, High Street, and preparing soup on the hob.

The hob directly underneath the microwave was not in use, but the woman had used an adjacent hob to heat some soup.

The woman had moved microwave onto the hob because there had been a leak from the property upstairs.

A fire crew from Horwich station were called out at about 5pm this evening, and said they had to take the microwave outside because it was “red hot”.

The woman was not hurt, but was said to be shaken by the incident.

Mark Anderson, crew manager at Horwich fire station, said: “The potato was the reason we originally got the alarm, and it was burnt to a crisp. It was a bit of a tragic story really.

“It could have been a lot worse. We would advise everyone not to leave their food unattended.”