A Chippenham family had a lucky escape after their tumble drier left to run overnight caught fire.

There were no smoke detectors in the house on St Peter’s Close, off Lowden, but luckily someone had stayed up late on Wednesday night and heard the bang as the appliance set alight.

Two fire crews from Chippenham were called in at 11.40pm and made the house safe.

Home fire safety manager Neil Chamberlain said: “It was sheer chance that one of the family had stayed up to play computer games and heard a bang from downstairs. He went to investigate, found the tumble drier on fire, and was able to raise the alarm.

“As a result, no one was hurt and firefighters were quickly on scene to extinguish the blaze.”

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service is advising people not to let tumble driers, washing machines or dishwashers run unattended, either overnight or while the house is empty.

They said a fire could easily start if a fault developed causing the appliance to overheat, and those sleeping risked being trapped upstairs.

Mr Chamberlain said: “Domestic appliances are often kept downstairs in a house, so leaving them running when you go to bed creates a real risk that you could be trapped upstairs if a fire were to start.

“It is also vital to have working smoke detectors on every level of your home, and to test them every week – that way, if the worst does happen, you should be able to raise the alarm and get to safety.”

He also advised people to make sure their elderly or vulnerable relatives or neighbours also had working smoke alarms.

To check if you qualify for a free home fire safety check from Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, call 0800 389 7849 or visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk