CHESHIRE Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to a kitchen fire in Handley, near Tattenhall, on Friday morning.

The blaze involved an unattended chip pan which caught fire in a home on Whitchurch Road at about 1.45am.

Firefighters from Chester Fire Station attended the property and put out the fire, with two members of the family being taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation.

Teams also had to rescue the family’s pet dog, a Jack Russell, from the property.

A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman has called for residents to check their smoke alarms are working, as although the home had one installed, the batteries had been put in incorrectly.

In addition, the spokesman added, residents should not leave chip pans unattended, and should preferably use a deep fat frier instead.