A FIRE chief has warned revellers to stay safe over the Christmas period after rescuers smashed down a door to save a man from a blaze.

Firefighters were called to a home in Glenvale Close, Radcliffe, at 1am on Thursday after a neighbour heard a smoke alarm.

A 45-year-old man had started cooking oven chips in the kitchen before falling asleep on his living-room sofa.

The kitchen and living room began filling with smoke.

Watch commander Gary Manock said: “The man slept through the smoke alarm and didn’t even hear us smashing his door in.

“When we woke him up, he didn’t appear to know where he was or what was going on because he had consumed so much alcohol.

“The police attended and told us they had brought him home earlier in the night because he was so drunk.”

He added: “It is always better to go to bed hungry, than to risk cooking while drunk and not wake up in the morning at all.

“We would encourage people to think sensibly about cooking late at night, especially when they have had a drink. This example shows the possible risk.”

The man was taken to hospital as a precaution and was released later on the same day.