A man has been rescued from a Romford flat fire believed to have “involved cooking” and been “accidental”.

Following the incident, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has urged people to ensure cooking is never left unattended.

Firefighters attended a ground floor flat in a converted semi-detached house on Regarth Avenue just before 8.45am on February 24.

LFB controlled the fire within an hour, however, part of a ground floor flat was damaged by the flames.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus led one man to safety.

He was suffering smoke inhalation and was assessed at the scene by paramedics.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We assessed a person at the scene, however they declined further treatment at hospital.

"They were given clear advice about ringing 999 or 111 back if their condition changed."

Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters from Romford, Hornchurch and Dagenham fire stations attended the scene.

A spokesperson for LFB said: “Fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home.

"Cooking should never be left unattended on the hob or grill - if you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the heat.”

Safety advice issued by the LFB includes double checking the cooker and hob are turned off after cooking, fitting a heat alarm in the kitchen and ordering a takeaway if you don’t feel well.