A WOMAN and child fled their home on Springfield Street, Darwen, after a faulty cooker caused a plume of gas to set alight.

The woman had been about to light her cooker at around 6.20pm yesterday when the gas control knob fell off in her hand. The flow of gas then ignited and the pair were forced to flee the property.

Two fire engines arrived at the scene but the woman managed to turn the gas off at the mains, so crew were deployed to ventilate the house.