FIREFIGHTERS have warned of the dangers of unattended candles after a fire severely damaged a Basingstoke home.

Two crews from Basingstoke fire station were called out at 11.57am on Saturday to a fire in a bedroom of a home in Winchester Road.

The occupants were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm, but the blaze still severely damaged the first floor of the home before firefighters arrived on scene.

The crews used breathing apparatus and a hose reel to put out the fire and a ventilation fan to clear the smoke.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's (HFRS) control room Tweeted: "When lighting candles, please consider the area immediately surrounding them and never leave them unsupervised."

For more information about safety when it comes to candles, go to the HFRS website.