A LIZARD was killed in a house fire in Leigh.

The owners of the pet were out when the tank caught fire at about 9pm on Monday in Church Street.

They returned to their home, to discover the blaze and called the fire service.

When firefighters arrived, there was smoke throughout the mid-terraced but the flames had not spread to the rest of the house.

The lizard, which was more than a foot long, died in the fire.

A man in his 50s was taken to Wigan Infirmary for treatment for a precautionary check up.

The fire is believed to have started when the lamp inside the tank fell onto the saw dust on the bed of the container.