A PENSIONER had a lucky escape after a fire at his Whitefield home.

The 78-year-old fell asleep on his sofa after leaving a lit cigarette on a toilet roll holder in his bathroom.

The holder caught fire but the man was awoken by his smoke alarm and was able to call the firebrigade.

Firefighters from Whitefield Station put out the flames at the house in Oakwell Drive at 10.30pm last night.

Leading firefighter Glyn Smith said: "He is lucky to be alive. He might have died if he did not have a smoke alarm."