A person had to be rescued by firefighters after falling asleep in a flat while cooking something on the stove.

A large area of the first floor of a block of flats in Warburg Crescent, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, was smoke-logged and the fire service was only called by neighbours after a smoke alarm went off at about 10.45pm yesterday.

Firefighters forced their way into the flat and found the occupier asleep.

Firefighters woke the person and took them to safety. A fire service spokesman did not know if it was a man or woman today.

The spokesman said it appeared the occupier had been drinking and fallen asleep.

She repeated Oxfordsire Fire and Rescue Service warnings of the dangers of leaving cooking unattended and also the importance of fitting alarms that are tested regularly.