A family had to be evacuated from their home after police officers discovered their garage was on fire in the early hours of today].

Bradford firefighters were called to the garage in Swires Road, Bradford Moor, at about 2am by the police officers who discovered the fire.

Watch commander Nick Padwick, of Bradford fire station, said the garage was close to the semi-detached house.

He said: "The police called us and when we got there it was well alight.

"Luckily we managed to get it out without it causing too much damage to the house, because it was so close to the house the radiated heat had caused some damage to the back door and the pipework."

Mr Padwick said the fire was being treated as suspicious, He said: "The people in the house were asleep at the time, but two policemen were passing and they managed to see the flames, so they decided to get the people out, which was a good idea because if the fire had got through the plastic door the house would have been full of smoke."

Mr Padwick said the police evacuated two adults and one child, believed to be about three-years-old, from the house.