Fire crews rescued five kittens and two cats from a house fire in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue was alerted to the fire, on Boothen Road in Stoke, at 11:40am on Thursday (24 July) and it was later deemed to be caused accidentally by a washing machine fault.

Specialist breathing equipment was used to treat the pets for smoke inhalation and no one was injured.

The cats and kittens were all taken to the vets 'as a precaution'.

Extra breathing equipment for pets and small animals was donated to the fire service by Harrison Family Vets, based in Longton, earlier this month.

The cats and kittens were given oxygen by the fire crews. (SFARS)

The kits provide concentrated oxygen therapy to pets in distress due to smoke inhalation and each kit has a selection of mask sizes to cater for different-sized pets.

A spokesperson for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue said: "We were called at 11.40am yesterday (Thursday 24 July) to Boothen Road, Stoke, following reports of smoke coming from a house.

"Three appliances attended the scene and used breathing apparatus and a hose reel jet to extinguish a small fire.

"Nobody was reported injured.

"Crews rescued two cats and five kittens from the property and they were given oxygen at the scene before being taken to the vets as a precaution.

"The fire was deemed to have been caused accidentally, by a washing machine fault."