A FIRE and ambulance crew were called to a flat in Bolton where a kitchen fire was caused by a man who fell asleep with his cooker on.

The incident occurred at 4am on Saturday in a ground floor flat at Claremont Court in Faraday Drive.

The man, in his 50s, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Bolton Central fire crew manager, Chris Wilcox, said: “There was a power cut and the man fell asleep leaving a frying pan containing a lot of oil and some food on the cooker.

“The pan ignited when the power returned.”

He added: “Fortunately, the occupier woke up and was able to make his way outside. It could have been a lot worse so he had a very lucky escape.”