A barking dog was rescued by neighbours this morning after they woke up to find the house next door on fire.

Firefighters were called to Hatton Gardens, Mitcham, at 6am this morning where a terraced house had gone up in flames.

After they heard the next door's neighbour's dog barking, the man and the woman, both in their 70s, called 999.

Both had to be treated for smoke inhalation after they opened the property with a spare key and let out the distressed pet.

Initial findings by a fire investigation team suggested the fire was started by a lit cigarette which had not been extinguished properly.

Mitcham fire station's crew manager, Trevor Chapman, said: “The fire is believed to have started by the careless disposal of cigarette ash in a bin.

"This should serve as a reminder to people to never put hot ash into a wastebasket.

"You should always make sure you pour water into your ashtray before disposing of the ash.

He added: “This fire severely damaged the property and has sadly destroyed a lot of possessions but crews did manage to salvage a computer. It is incredibly important that people have a working smoke alarm and test it regularly.”

Teams from Mitcham and Norbury fire stations were told the occupier of the house had left less than an hour before the fire was reported by neighbours on either side.

The occupier's dog was also attended to by the RSPCA for breathing problems.

Peter Martin, commander of Mitcham fire station, said the house was almost completely destroyed and reminded resident how important it was to have a working smoke alarm fitted.

Anyone who would like safety advice, or to have the Fire Brigade install a free smoke alarm at home for free, should call Mitcham fire station on 020 8555 1200 (extension 84553).

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