FIREFIGHTERS were called to a warden-controlled flat this morning after an 84-year-old woman set her armchair alight with a cigarette.

The pensioner is thought to have discarded hot ash down the side of the chair she was sitting in, which then caught light.

She managed to call for the warden who in turn rang 999, prompting three fire engines to respond this morning shortly after 10am.

On arrival at the property in Wyndham Court, in Commercial Road, Southampton, the fire had been put out by the woman who had thrown a bucket of water over the chair before getting out.

The woman's home, which only had one smoke alarm fitted, suffered slight smoke damage and the chair was badly fire damaged.

Watch manager Nigel Mottashed, from red watch at St Mary's, said: "This highlights the inherent dangers of smoking and I would urge people to make sure people extinguish cigarettes properly.

"I'd also like to stress the importance of home fire safety checks and remind people that smoke detectors do save lives."

Firefighters fitted two further smoke detectors before leaving the property.