An elderly couple had a lucky escape after fire broke out in their home early this morning.

The blaze was started by a candle left unattended in the bathroom of the house in Church Road, Ealing, at around 5am.

It was discovered by the woman, who was able to raise her partner and escape before firefighters arrived.

Crew manager Carl Quinney, of Ealing fire station, said: "If she hadn't been up and about they wouldn't have discovered it in time because they had no smoke alarms fitted in the house."

Crews from Ealing, Southall and North Kensington attended.