A MAN was rescued from his home after his mattress caught alight when he fell asleep while smoking. 

Emergency services rushed to the address in Vange Hill Drive, Basildon, on Thursday at 9.21pm. 

A neighbour had heard a smoke alarm going off and call 999. 

Two crews from Basildon arrived and rescued a man who was lying on a mattress which was on fire.

The fire was put out by 9.37pm.

Firefighters gave the man oxygen before leaving him in the care of the ambulance service.

Watch Manager Darryl Worster said: "The occupant fell asleep while smoking and the cigarette set fire to his mattress; it produced a lot of smoke but luckily it did not set fire to the bedding.

"If you’re a smoker or you know someone who is, we’d urge you to avoid smoking if you’re tired or if you’ve been drinking or taking heavy medication."

Mr Worster has urged people to check their fire alarms are working. 

He said: “The incident also highlights how important it is to have working smoke alarms, which in this case alerted a neighbour.

"We recommend you have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test them at least once a month."