A SLEEPING man was saved by his alert neighbours who dialled 999 when they spotted smoke pouring out from under the front door of his flat.
Fifty-year-old Mr Ray Evans of Wardley Square, Tyldesley, had left the pan on the cooker, and only awoke when the fire service arrived.
Although the flat was heavily smoke logged, the pan had not yet caught fire. A fire spokesman said: "It would appear that Mr Evans was very lucky because his neighbours spotted the smoke coming from his flat.
"If they had not acted as quickly as they did he could have been in trouble. Also had he had a smoke alarm he would have been alerted much sooner."
The fire happened in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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