Fire safety reminder for cooking up a pancake feast in kitchen this Shrove Tuesday

More than half of all accidental fires in the home are cooking-related, so Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people of the small steps they can take to prevent accidents.

People are encouraged to never leave cooking unattended, as well as these top tips:

Keep electrical leads, tea towels and cloths away from the cooker

Take care if wearing loose clothing while cooking with gas

Remember any type of pan can catch fire - this includes a wok, a grill or a frying pan

Never fill a pan more than one-third full of oil. If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot, turn off the heat and leave it to cool down

If your pan does catch fire:

Don't panic and never take risks

Don't move or touch the pan

Never throw water or use a water fire extinguisher on a hot fat fire

If it's safe to do so, turn off the heat, but never lean over the pan to reach the controls

Leave the kitchen, close the door, tell everyone else in the home to get out and don't go back inside for any reason

Call 999

A working smoke alarm gives vital extra time to escape if a fire does break out. Before starting to make pancakes, the fire services suggests checking smoke alarms are working by pressing the test button until the alarm sounds.

To book a free Safe and Well visit, which can include fitting smoke alarms on every floor of the home, call 0800 555 815.