A MAN was taken to hospital after a cigarette started a fire inside his Tottington flat.

An armchair had gone up in flames, causing substantial smoke damage in the second-floor bedsit.

When the emergency services turned out to the sheltered accommodation at Harwood House, Wesley Street, the man was found in another room.

He was taken to Fairfield General Hospital as a precaution.

Bury watch manager Stephen Urmston said: “The fire alarm alerted us to the incident at 7.10pm last night (March 22). We sent in teams with breathing apparatus and water.

"The man had been smoking. It had set fire to the arm chair.

"Thankfully we found him in another room. We were not sure whether he had fallen asleep. There was smoking material all around him. We led him to safety.”