A bird is believed to have caused a house blaze in Lawkholme by taking a lighted cigarette stub back to its nest.

Baffled firemen came up with the theory following the fire in the gable of a house in Victoria Park View. They were called out early on Saturday morning after the occupant smelled burning and found his roof was on fire.

Firefighters saw smoke and a glow coming from the gable end of the house so they used a hose from outside to douse the flames. When they later removed timber they found a nest containing rotting vegetation and two dead birds.

Station officer Mick Robinson says he has never come across such an incident before. He adds: "A bird must have taken back something like a cigarette end and it's smouldered for some time. There's no other explanation.

"One of my colleagues reckoned it was caused by glow-worms!"

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