ALCOHOL and late night cooking don't mix.

That is the message of a new fire safety campaign in Greater Manchester which has recruited Bury-born actor Ralf Little to help cut the number of night-time house fires -- and deaths.

The star of The Royle Family and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps is fronting radio adverts which are currently being aired on Galaxy 102. The adverts highlight the dangers of people cooking or smoking when they return home from a night out drinking alcohol.

From January 2002 to December 2003, between the hours of 10pm and 4am, there were 593 cooking-related fires in the county, of which 259 were due to chip pan's.

The fires resulted in 361 people needing some form of a treatment ranging from being given oxygen through to attending hospital for burns and smoke inhalation. In one incident in Wigan, two people lost their lives.

During the same period there were 179 fires caused by smoking materials which resulted in a 123 casualties and three fatalities.

Assistant County Fire Officer for Fire Safety, John Judd, said: "This campaign is purposely aimed at the younger generation who quite often put the chip pan on or have a cigarette when they return home after a night out at a pub or club.

"The problem we see all too often is that people fall asleep while smoking or waiting for food to cook and before they know it they have put themselves and potentially other members of their family in real danger."

Ralf said he was only too pleased to help out with the life-saving campaign.

"It seems such a shame that someone could be injured or lose their life just because they were hungry or fancy a cigarette after a night out."