FIREFIGHTERS were called out to a fire in a Whitehaven flat after a discarded cigarette set a bin alight in the early hours of this morning.

Two fire engines attended the Scotch Street property at 3.30am. The cigarette had set the bin alight in the living room, damaging a table and the carpet.

The two residents vacated the property while the crew spent about an hour extinguishing the small fire.

Firefighters will be doing a leaflet drop in the Scotch Street area to make people aware of the dangers of smoking, said Phil Reay, watch manager for Workington and Whitehaven.

"If people smoke they need to make sure cigarettes are extinguished before they go to bed. They need to be mindful when putting them into bins and ideally run them under a tap first and ensure the bin is empty," he said.

The team will also be running a fire safety campaign in the town this week.

"After several incidents in the last few weeks, we shall be focusing the campaign on the town area," he said.