FIREFIGHTERS are visiting homes to hand out safety advice following a chip pan blaze.

Crews from Bolton Central fire station have spoken to residents in Radcliffe Road, The Haulgh, after an 85-year-old man had to be taken to hospital following a chip pan fire at his home on Tuesday.

As well as fitting smoke alarms in homes, crews have also been advising people about how to stay safe, especially when they are cooking.

Firefighters are also encouraging people to bin their chip pans to mark National Chip Week this week.

Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Cllr David Acton, said: “Work is taking place as part of the service’s drive to Ban the Pan and encourage people to use safer alternatives such as deep fat fryers or oven chips.

“This week, firefighters have joined the latest viral video craze by creating their very own Harlem Shake, which encourages people to ditch their chip pans.”

Next Thursday, community fire safety (CFS) staff will be at the Astley Bridge area forum from 6.30pm to give advice to residents about safe cooking.

One of Bolton’s new apprentice community safety advisors, Gary Manville, will give a presentation he has designed about cooking fires in Bolton— sharing advice on how to protect yourself against fire in the kitchen.

The advice is part of an ongoing safety drive by firefighters to reduce kitchen fires.

Earlier this month about 150 Bolton University students were given a dramatic demonstration about the dangers of chip pans in the kitchen fire safety unit at Bolton Central fire station.