A WARNING has been issued for people to take care when cooking after an unattended oven caught fire.

Fire crews from Winchester attended the blaze at a hostel in Sussex Street, Winchester, at just after 10pm yesterday.

They found the oven was well alight but the occupants in the flat were not in the property.

Two fire engines were sent to the scene and the small fire was extinguished.

A total of ten fire fighters attended the incident and used positive pressure ventilation to disperse the smoke.

The incindent was over by around 11pm.

No one was evacuated from the property and a smoke detection device was in place and working.

Watch manager Sean Gray said it was difficult to get hold of the occupants, who had left the flat with the oven on.

He said: "Please do not leave cooking unattended.

"It is ideal to have detection in the property and make sure it is regularly tested and working."