A FIRE that started in electrical wiring destroyed a Runcorn family's bathroom.

Firefighters were called to the scene, at a semi-detached property in Ascot Avenue last Tuesday.

They were met by a distressed young female and her two young children.

Two firefighters made their way through heavy black smoke upstairs to the bathroom and tackled the blaze.

Sub Officer Sean Henshaw, from Runcorn Fire Station, described the fire as 'an accident waiting to happen'.

He said: "The young woman in this instance did everything right.

"She gathered her two children together, left the property and called the fire service."

The bathroom and its fittings were destroyed by the fire and the rest of the first floor rooms were contaminated with soot and dust.

A detailed investigation of the scene was carried out, which determined that the fire had started in electrical wiring.

A screw had been driven through the wire, causing it to heat up and eventually set fire to the timber to which it was attached.

Mr Henshaw added: "This fire highlights how important it is to make sure there are smoke detectors in the home and that they are in working order."