A man was 'lucky to escape' without serious injury when a microwave meal set his house on fire in Banbury. 

Fire crews found the man, in his twenties, asleep in his bedroom surrounded by smoke after they were called by a neighbour who heard his smoke alarm on Sunday night just after 11pm.

The man, woken up by firefighters and led to safety, was given first aid before South Central Ambulance Service arrived on the scene.

The family dog was also rescued from the house in Warwick Road. 

Crew manager Martin Davis said: "The occupant of this property was extremely lucky to escape without serious injury, which was down to the early detection of the fire by the working smoke alarms fitted in the property.

"Apparently the batteries in the smoke alarms had been changed only last week, I feel that this highlights the need to test your smoke alarms regularly."