A TODDLER is thought to have caused a kitchen fire at a Radcliffe house after turning on a stove hob on which clothes had been placed.

The toddler, his mother and another child were out when the fire began at their Duke Street home at 2.10pm yesterday. A neighbour raised the alarm after spotting smoke.

Fire crews arrived to get the blaze under control but the kitchen was badly damaged.

Whitefield watch commander John Van Geffen said: "Obviously, this was not a good place to store clothing and people need to be mindful of what their children are doing."