People who return from a night out and start cooking while drunk, have become the target of a Christmas safety campaign by the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

Well-educated professional under-35s cause a quarter of accidental house fires in the city, says the LFB, many after drinking during the evening. They are being encouraged to bring back a takeaway instead of making meals.

"Don't go home thinking you're on MasterChef," said LFB Commissioner Ron Dobson, referring to the BBC programme. "Too many fires start when someone has passed out, leaving a pizza in the oven or a pan on the hob, and it can be fatal," he added.

LFB said it had studied three years of data on the causes of blazes around London. It found 25 per cent of the 18,000 emergencies were started by young people who were generally living in smart rented flats, earned more than £40,000 a year and had university degrees.

Richard Tracey, Vice-Chairman of the London Fire Authority and London Assembly Member for Wandsworth and Merton, said: "I think this is very sensible advice."

An advertising campaign has been launched in several Tube stations, with some posters featuring the slogan "Last night a burger saved my life".

December 21, 2011