A dog has been hailed a hero after alerting its owners to a fire in their house.

Staffordshire bull terrier Millie ran upstairs to the attic and barked at 18-year-old Nathan, who was on a cross-trainer with his headphones on listening to music.

The teenager’s mum was in the shower at the time. Neither of them had heard the smoke alarm in the terraced property on Leicester Street, East Bowling.

Nathan said: “We are very thankful to the dog. She ran up to the attic even though she’s not supposed to because she has got a bad leg.”

The fire, which was in a first-floor bedroom, had started because a candle had been left lit, said Bradford watch commander Alan Holdsworth, whose crew were called yesterday.

He added: “Four weeks ago this house didn’t have a smoke alarm. But we carried out fire safety checks in the area and put one in - it has been a great success."