FIVE people caught up in a house fire had their lives saved by a smoke alarm.

Four adults and a child escaped a blazing house in Francemary Road, Lewisham, after they were woken up by their alarm.

The five escaped to safety before around 20 firefighters arrived to put out the blaze, which took place in the early hours of October 19.

Lewisham fire station officer Bill Sollis said: "This incident highlights how important having a working smoke alarm is.

"If there had not been an alarm we would have been rescuing those five people instead of them escaping before we arrived."

The London Fire Brigade carries out regular home fire safety checks. For more information, call 0800 024 4824.