A young woman had a lucky escape after a smoldering cigarette set her couch on fire while she was asleep.

Fortunately the woman, in her early 20s, woke at 5.30am today to get a glass of water and smelled burning on her way to the kitchen.

She quickly filled a bucket with water and threw it over the sofa, putting out the flames.

She then opened her front door to ventilate her third-floor flat in Caister Drive, Pitsea, before going outside and calling the fire brigade.

Basildon station officer Gary Hastings said: "There is no doubt she was lucky to wake when she did."

More in Monday's Echo