A family of four escaped from a house fire thought to have been caused by their electric blanket on Sunday night.

London Fire Brigade were called to a house on Sandy Lane in Cheam at 10.21pm after a smoke alarm alerted the family to a fire in their upstairs bedroom.

Station officer Richard Young, of Sutton fire station’s blue watch, said: “They turned the electric blanket on to warm up the bed and the next thing they knew the smoke alarm had gone off.

“The father got everyone out but it could have been a lot worse if the smoke alarm hadn't gone off. The fire could have spread into the roof cavity and the roof could have gone.”