A smoke alarm prevented a serious house fire in Rotherham last night.

Firefighters were called to Rig Drive, Swinton at 4.22am after a small fire had started in the upstairs bathroom of the property.

A smoke alarm fitted by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue had alerted the occupier, who was in her 80s, to the fire, allowing her to escape and firefighters to quickly deal with the incident.

The fire is believed to have been caused by a discarded cigarette. The property was only lightly smoke logged.

To arrange a free home safety check, including the fitting of free smoke alarms where needed, call 0114 253 2314.