A FAMILY of three have suffered smoke inhalation following a kitchen fire which went undetected for hours as the property did not have a working smoke alarm.

The fire had started on the hob which had been left on. The hob melted a pan which continued to smoulder and produce alot of smoke.

The property did not have a working smoke alarm, so the family were not alerted to the fire until they woke up this morning.

A crew from Corringham and a crew from Basildon responded to the call at 7.05am yesterday morning.

When firefighters arrived at the property, in High Road, Fobbing, they found the kitchen full of thick black smoke. They ventilated the property and fitted new smoke alarms before leaving at 8:15am. The family were left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "Incidents like this show why it is so important to ensure you have a working smoke alarm.

"Essex County Fire and Rescue Service wants 100 per cent of homes in Essex to have a working smoke alarm.

"To get your free smoke alarm and home safety visit call us on 0300 303 0088 or visit our website."

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "We received a call yesterday at 7.32am to reports of a fire at a property in Fobbing to which we sent an ambulance crew to.

"At the scene a young child and two adults were treated for smoke inhalation before being taken to Basildon and Thurrock Hospital for further care."