A pensioner escaped a fire in Tooting on Monday night after he fell asleep next to lit candles.

The man, in his early 70s, woke surrounded by flames at about 11pm after his dog began barking.

He managed to scramble out unhurt and call the fire brigade, who arrived at the ground floor flat, in Ramsden Road, within minutes.

The fire, which started because the candles were resting on a stack of papers, was under control in ten minutes.

Eight firefighters from Tooting fire station attended the scene and evacuated several other residents from the block.

Watch manager Roy Sawh said: “Pay particular attention if you’re using candles in your home.

"Never leave them unattended, and always put them on a non-combustible surface.”