Five people had to be treated after a flat blaze in Holloway last Wednesday.

Firefighters said the ground floor fire, in a sheltered housing block in Hornsey Road, started due to cooking being left unattended.

The crews, called from Holloway and Islington fire stations just before 5.30pm, led one man to safety. Paramedics treated five people at the scene for smoke inhalation.

A small part of the flat was damaged. The incident was over in 40 minutes.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson warned: “You should never leave cooking unattended. If you have to leave the room, turn the heat off. Fortunately there was a smoke alarm that sounded.

“Homes need multiple and linked alarms or you won’t be properly covered. Ideal spots for smoke alarms include rooms where you leave electrical equipment running like computers or heaters, any room where you smoke, and anywhere you charge your mobile or laptop.”