CLEVELAND Fire Brigade is taking part in a national campaign aimed at promoting the importance of safety in the kitchen.

It is part of a two-year programme aimed at increasing public awareness of major fire risks and encourages practical action to reduce the number of deaths and injuries in the home.

Ian Gibson, a community fire safety officer in Cleveland, said: "A few seconds inattention when you are cooking can have terrible consequences and this campaign is designed to highlight this.

"The most important point about cooking is to avoid being distracted. Most kitchen fires occur when people leave things unattended."

Research shows that while the message is relevant to everyone, the campaign is targeting people aged 16 to 25, particularly young men and students, young mothers, and households less likely to have a smoke alarm.

Last year on Teesside there were more than 350 fires which started in the kitchen, more than half of all house fires attended by Cleveland Fire Brigade.

The kitchen is the most dangerous place in the home and 4,000 people are injured in chip pan fires each year in Britain.

Mr Gibson said: "We want to highlight this and encourage people to take sensible steps to make sure that they are not at risk.

"Sensible precautions such as installing smoke alarms, keeping cooking areas tidy and supervising children in the kitchen should be emphasised and people should be aware that the most common type of kitchen fire is caused through deep fat frying, especially between 10pm and 4am."