A FAMILY of eight escaped a house blaze after an electric heater went up in flames.

The front bedroom was “well alight” when fire crews arrived at the property in Ramsay Avenue, New Bury at 4:09am on Saturday.

The parents, their four children and two uncles managed to evacuate the semi-detached house before fire fighters arrived.

One of the uncles, aged 58, was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital, as were all of the children, for a precautionary check up. None were thought to be injured.

The family have since been re-housed by the Red Cross.

The front bedroom was destroyed and there was smoke damage to the upstairs of the house.

Firefighters from Farnworth managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to the house next door.