A PET lover was injured as he risked his life to save his dog from a fire that ripped through his home only to discover the animal was safe anyway.

The drama happened when the man returned to his Hampshire bungalow after walking his other dog to find the house well alight.

Neighbours tried to warn him to stay clear but he ignored their pleas and made his way through the side of the blazing house and into the back garden.

When the man, who is in his late 50s and works at Southampton International Airport, got there he found his dog had gone to the bottom of the garden and was in no danger.

By the time emergency services arrived they discovered the homeowner had suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. He was taken to Southampton General Hospital for treatment.

Investigations are today under way into the fire, which happened in Allen Road, Hedge End.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said an initial examination suggested the fire had started in the kitchen, possibly in electrical equipment. Yesterday neighbours told of how, fearing for his safety, they had urged the victim not to try to rescue his dog after hearing windows in the property cracking from the heat.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "I heard this banging, and then when I looked out of the window I could see the bungalow was on fire and there was smoke flooding into the air.

"There were several people standing around and I could see him trying to get his motorbike out of his lean-to in the driveway so he could get his dog out of the rear garden.

"We were all telling him to leave it and get away, and eventually he did. It turned out his dog had fled down to the end of the garden and was safe anyway.'' Group manager Carlton Kerr, from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said two appliances had initially been sent to the incident shortly after 10am, but that another was summoned when they realised how intense the blaze was. He added that crews in breathing apparatus had been despatched inside to fight the fire more effectively, but that the victim was already out when they arrived.

He said: "The kitchen has been utterly destroyed and the rest of the ground floor has suffered close to 100 per cent damage.''