Phone charger thought to have caused house fire

A fire service has warned people to unplug devices as soon as they have finished charging

A house was left with smoke and heat damage after a fire on Christmas Eve thought to have been started by a phone charger.

Crews were called to Kings Head Street in Harwich, Essex at 09:37 GMT on Tuesday.

Firefighters reported a blaze in a bedroom of the end-of-terrace property, with the house filling up with smoke.

Station manager Karl Amos said: "We think that although the homeowner had finished charging their phone, they had left the charger switched on, causing it to overheat and catch fire to nearby items."

He added: "It's really important you only charge items for the minimum time they need and then unplug the charger when you are finished with it.

"Make sure all your chargers are from reputable suppliers and always follow manufacturer's instructions."