A QUICK thinking neighbour ensured a man had a lucky escape after a fire broke out in his kitchen.

The 47-year-old man had put some cooking on the hob and gone into the lounge but fallen asleep in his flat in Sutherland Road, Lordshill, Southampton.

He was not woken even as smoke filled the flat and the smoke alarm was set off.

But luckily a neighbour heard the alarm and smelt smoke and called the emergency services around 9.50pm on Tuesday.

Crews from Redbridge and St Mary's broke down the door and woke the man and brought him out of the flat.

He was treated at the scene by firefighters for smoke inhalation but did not need to go to hospital.

Firefighters put out the fire and used a fan to clear the smoke.

No-one else in the two storey block had to be evacuated.

The flat was still habitable with damage limited to the pan and some smoke.