POLICE had to hammer on the door of a house to wake a man whose kitchen had caught fire after he fell asleep.

Firefighters say the man in his 30s was overcome by smoke following the blaze which was started by food being cooked in a pan left on the hob.

However he managed to get out without serious injury after police arrived on the scene first and banged repeatedly on his door to wake him up.

Fire crews from St Mary's station spent a couple of minutes putting out the flames at the home in Bassett Green Road.