Firefighters had to climb on to the roof of a house in Watford last night after an attempt to light an open fire went spectacularly wrong.

Crews from Watford Fire Station were called to an address in Harwoods Road at 9.42pm when a blocked chimney sent dense smoke pouring into its living room.

Watch commander Dave Elliott explained how the fire then spread to the chimney stack and threatened the property’s roof.

He said: “We tried our normal chimney kit on it, which is like a brush that sprays water. But it was so bad we had to get the ladder out, climb onto the roof and put a hose reel down the chimney.

“The message here is that if you’re thinking of lighting an open fire then make sure you’ve had your chimney swept before you do.”

Nobody was hurt and no damage was caused.