A COUPLE escaped serious injury when a fire broke out at their home last night.

A woman fell unconscious after breathing in too much smoke and was rescued by firefighters. A man managed to get himself outside.

Smoke poured from the semi-detached house, in Briar Hill Avenue, Little Hulton, after a television in the front room short-circuited or over-heated.

Firefighters were called at 4.30am after a neighbour reported smoke coming from the property.

Two smoke alarms in the house had woken the couple. They were given oxygen therapy at the scene, before being taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Firefighters remained at the scene for two and a half hours to ensure the fire was completely extinguished.

Damage was contained to the living room, but the rest of the house was left smoke-logged.

Jim O'Byrne, station officer at Bolton Central, said: "They are lucky to be alive. If they hadn't been woken by the smoke alarms it could have been a very different story."