AN elderly man was rescued by firefighters from his home yesterday.

Francis Peploe, 77, was saved from his upstairs flat in Starkie Road, Tonge Moor, by firemen from Bolton North station.

Mr Peploe woke in the afternoon to find his bed on fire. It is believed the fire was started by an overturned ashtray.

Mr Peploe was able to call the warden who raised the alarm.

When firemen arrived Mr Peploe, who suffers from asthma, was in the living room struggling for breath.

Firemen pulled him out of the house and gave him oxygen.

Sub-officer Ian Metcalfe said: "Mr Peploe is a very lucky man. We were able to reach his house in four minutes and at that stage the fire was very small. "If he had not alerted the warden, who in turn called us, it would have been a very different story."

Mr Peploe was taken to Bolton Royal Infirmary suffering from smoke inhalation. It is believed he later discharged himself.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.