A man has been rushed to hospital after a flat caught fire in Ilford when a chip pan was left unattended in the kitchen.

The London Fire Brigade was called to the flat in Gainsborough Avenue in Ilford at 8.04pm on Sunday (April 2).

Part of a four-roomed flat on the first floor of a three-storey building was damaged by fire.

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One man left the flat before firefighters arrived and was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.

Firefighters believe the blaze was caused by a chip pan which was left unattended.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home.

"Cooking should never be left unattended on the hob or grill - if you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the heat.

"Chip pans and cooking with hot oil can be really dangerous and the risk increases when you start frying food more than once.

"All it can take is for you to become distracted for a few seconds and your cooking oil can quickly go up in flames."

The fire was under control by 8.29pm and crews from Ilford and Plaistow fire stations attended the scene.