A family of five, including three children, were rescued from a house fire in on Sunday morning.

Neighbours were alerted to the fire at a property on Brading Road, Thornton Heath at about 2.25am and called 999 after hearing knocking on their wall.

Two fire engines and 10 firefighters attended the incident.

The family had taken refuge in an upstairs bedroom after becoming trapped by heat and smoke from the fire, which had started downstairs in their house.

They were given fire survival guidance by 999 Control officers until fire crews arrived.

Firefighters then used a ladder to rescue the man, woman and three young children from the first floor window of their house.

All five were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Watch Manager Michael Barratt, from Norbury fire station, warned people to take care if they were using candles.

He said: "Many people have candles in their homes but if they are not used safely they can be a huge fire risk.

"In this case we believe the fire started after a tea-light candle was left unattended and ignited items on the wall shelf it was standing on.

"The debris fell onto a sofa below which also caught fire.

"Luckily there were no serious injuries but this fire sends a clear message that you should never leave candles unattended and should always make sure that you keep them on a heat resistant surface and away from curtains, furniture or anything else that can catch fire."

He added: "There was no working smoke alarm in the house either.

"It is vital that you have one on every level of your home. They can buy you vital seconds to escape if you have a fire."