SMOKERS are being warned of the dangers of carelessly ditching their cigarettes after a discarded fag butt sparked a fire last night.

Firefighters from St Mary's was called to a small fire in the centre of Southampton after neighbours spotted flames coming from the window of a ground floor flat.

The crew arrived at the home in Albert Road South, where those living inside were still not aware that the wooden window frame was on fire.

It is believed that one of those in the flat had been smoking and had flicked the cigarette out of the window, but it got stuck in the frame and started to burn.

Crew Manager Gavin Hackney said: “This incident highlights the dangers of smoking inside and carelessly discarding cigarettes. Smokers should always ensure that their finished cigarettes are completely extinguished before being thrown away.”