Tortoises rescued from shed fire

Their owner had been burning waste paper in a brazier in the back garden with the heat causing the nearby shed to catch fire.

The 10 reptiles were immediately taken for veterinary treatment with some suffering burns, the fire service said.

A crew from Wigan fire station was called to the property at The Downs in Highfield shortly after 10pm on Sunday, April 30.

Watch manager Shaun Aspey said: "It was quite an unfortunate incident, it was done completely accidentally.

"But the fire had been left unattended. It was another member of the family who spotted the shed was on fire from the bedroom window.

"There is an important safety message here that if you are using a brazier-style fire pit with open flames, don't leave it unattended because the heat can cause fence panels, or in this case, a shed, to catch fire.

"We managed to rescue the tortoises and they have been taken to the vet for treatment. We turned out thinking it was just a shed fire and it wasn't until we arrived we found out about the tortoises being inside."