FIREFIGHTERS are urging people to take care when cooking after a Davyhulme man was left with burns following a chip pan fire at his bungalow, writes Tom Dyson.

The 75-year-old received 20 per cent burns to his back after his clothes caught fire at his home on Kingsway Park, at around 12.30pm, on Wednesday, March 5.

Firefighters from three stations attended the scene but found that the fire was out when they arrived.

A trauma technician assisted colleagues from the North West Ambulance Service in applying burns dressings and giving him oxygen. He was later taken to Wythenshawe Hospital.

Danny Marshall, station manager, said: “It seems the gentleman was cooking chips in a pan of oil on a gas cooker.

“Somehow, the flame from the hob has caught his cardigan and he has been left with partial thickness burns.

“The fire was out when we arrived and luckily a smoke alarm fitted by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) sounded and alerted his neighbours who dialled 999.

Cllr David Acton, chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “It is very unfortunate that this man has been left with burns, but thankfully a smoke alarm fitted by GMFRS during a home safety check alerted his neighbours to the fire.

“We always urge people to take care in the kitchen, to never leave cooking unattended and to be incredibly careful when cooking with oil.

“Chip pans are incredibly dangerous and GMFRS’ Ban the Pan Campaign urges people to swap them for safer alternatives such as thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers.”