FIREFIGHTERS are urging people to take care in the kitchen in a bid to reduce the number of house fires in North Yorkshire.

This comes as the fire service launches its kitchen safety campaign after North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue attended 180 kitchen related fires since 2011.

Colin Hunter station manager for York said: “Cooking remains one of the biggest causes of accidental fires in the home.

"A number of the incidents we’ve attended over the last few years have been caused by people getting distracted and leaving pans and grill unattended or forgetting to turn cooking appliances off when they’ve finished.

“We want to remind people that by following a few simple tips they can reduce the likelihood of a cooking fire in their home.

"We’d also advise fitting smoke alarms on every level of your home, to give you an early indication if a fire should break out. ”

The fire service is advising people to not leave pans or grill pans unattended, keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob, and is urging them to take care when wearing loose clothing as they can easily catch fire.

As part of the campaign Community Safety Officers will be attending events throughout the city.

Firefighters will be at Tesco Askham Bar on October 23, York Farmers Market the following day, Sainsbury's Monks Cross on October 30 and St Nicholas Fayre on December 12.