Firefighters have issued a stark warning to children never to play with fire, after youngsters accidentally started a blaze which destroyed a garden shed then spread to a house.

Fire crews were called out to the blaze, at Bradford Lane, Laisterdyke, just after 5pm on Saturday.

Watch manager Steve Haley said: “It was caused by children playing with fire. It burned the shed and then the fire spread to the property - the kitchen and upstairs bedroom.

“It destroyed the shed completely, and it actually ruptured the gas pipe fitted to the gas meter, so the gas board were left digging up their back yard.”

Mr Haley said everyone was out of the building when they arrived, and no-one was hurt.

He said the damaged outside gas pipe had been spotted after the fire was put out, so firefighters taped it up with duct tape as a temporary measure and used fans to keep the house clear of fumes.

Mr Haley said: “The message to children is, don’t play with fire. They might think it is safe but it soon takes hold and the results are catastrophic.”