A FAMILY had to flee their blazing home after a teenage son inadvertently started a fire while secretly smoking in the loft.

It is believed that Christopher Lake, 15, was smoking in the converted room with a friend when a discarded cigarette sparked the blaze in the early hours of yesterday.

The flames engulfed the bedroom at the house in Wollaton Road, in the Low Grange area of Billingham, at about 3.50am.

The family of six and Christopher's friend escaped unhurt, although the teenage boys were treated for smoke inhalation at the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton. They were later released.

Christopher's parents, Thomas, 42, and Michelle, 36, struggled to put out the blaze before fire crews arrived on the scene at about 4am.

The couple's other children, Josh, 11, Kayleigh, seven, and Danielle, five, were unhurt and are staying with relatives.

Mrs Lake said she had warned her son about smoking and hoped that the fire would bring him to his senses.

"I'm just relieved everyone is all right, but I could kill Christopher," she said.

His father, a painter and decorator, said they were working flat out to get the house back to normal, but the loft would now be boarded up.

He added that the bedroom was normally occupied by his other son, but Christopher had been allowed to use it because his friend was staying over.

Dennis Lightowler, a Stockton-based crew manager with Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: "The father tried to put the fire out, but was beaten back by the smoke.

"They were all very lucky. The smoke woke them, they have told me, and they left the property."

The house was fitted smoke detectors, but not in the new loft conversion.

Mr Lightowler added: "I did not expect as much fire damage, which was possibly the result of the fire having been burning for some time.''