Firefighters tackled a blaze at an elderly people's sheltered housing complex in Radlett this week.

A faulty extractor unit was believed to be the cause of the bathroom fire, at Slade Court in Watling Street, on Monday.

Firefighters, from Radlett and Borehamwood stations, were called at around 9.45am to the blaze, in the bathroom of the second-floor flat, belonging to resident Stephanie Worby.

Warden Eileen Farrelly saw smoke and heard the smoke alarm coming from the flat.

She led the distressed resident, in her 80s, from the bathroom to safety, closing the bathroom door to stop the fire spreading.

Borehamwood Station Commander Danny Rickett praised the warden's actions, and added: "We saved the flat, but the bathroom is a bit of a write off it is heavily smoke damaged and the extractor fan is gone."

He added that the most important thing was the resident was alive.

The blaze was contained in the bathroom, but the rest of the second-floor was heavily smoke-logged, and the ten other residents living at the complex were also evacuated.

It took firefighters half-an-hour to extinguish the flames and make the scene safe.

Sub Officer Jim Moran said it was thought an electrical fault in the extractor unit had caused the blaze, and initially there were fears the fire could have spread into the loft, which the ceiling unit was linked to via a flue.

Mr Rickett said people should check electrical equipment and, if in doubt, call an electrical engineer, and should install smoke alarms.

The warden said all extractor units were now being checked.