PATIENTS were evacuated from smoke-filled wards as firefighters battled a mock hospital blaze yesterday.

Fire engines from Bishop Auckland, Crook and Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, were on the scene minutes after the alarm sounded at Bishop Auckland maternity hospital.

A small fire reported in a corridor set the scene for the emergency drill designed to give firefighters and hospital staff the chance to experience a hands-on evacuation.

The hospital's fire safety officer, George Firbank, said: "The fire was supposed to be near two surgical wards, which became very quickly smoke-logged.

"All our staff are trained in the evacuation procedure. If there was a real emergency there would be more staff involved."

Eight patients suffering from a range of ailments from piles to amputated legs were played by staff, who had volunteered for the ordeal.

The wards in the maternity unit are no longer used and no real patients were inconvenienced for the exercise.

The fire brigade used three dummies to represent visitors, and they were hidden in other parts of the hospital, near the fire as casualties.

As the dummies were brought out, nurses and hospital staff had to resuscitate them, while trying to get them to safety.

Midwife Angela Cook said the exercise was very worthwhile.

She said: "We have been to lectures before but this is hands-on. It has shown us the importance of working together as a team."

Station officer Michael Dunn, from Durham County Fire and Rescue, said: "The whole idea of an exercise is to identify improvements that we can make."