A man managed to save his home from a fire by carrying a smoking television out of his house.

The man grabbed the smouldering television and dumped it in his front garden in Shakespeare Avenue, Westcliff, just after 6pm yesterday.

Fire officer Peter Bennett said: "He was very lucky to be able to get the TV out, otherwise it would have caused a lot of damage. We don't recommend what he did but we can understand why he did it."

Published Wednesday, April 16, 2003

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